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Preparing for a departure
I've taught the course under various titles for 12 or so years at a couple of campuses. Until now, I've stayed in lockstep with the regimented chapters of hefty, slog-it-out textbooks.
For next term, I've decided to break free of a text and sprint down a new path.
This time the required reading will be the Associated Press Stylebook (which I have required before), the classic "Elements of Style" by William Strunk and E.B. White (see earlier post), and a recent New York Times best seller "Made to Stick" by Chip and Dan Heath. The subtitle of the latter is "Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die."
I have two motives for changing. The first has to do with money. My students', not mine. The cost of the standard textbook is pushing $90. The three new required books can be had on-line or at Powell's, used, for no more than $20 — total.
For community college students, the difference can be huge. I have had students who have waited four weeks into the term before they could scrounge up money to buy the text. By then they were lost.
More important than the stratospheric price of textbooks are several experiments I want to try.
For example, one calls for dissecting news stories. I've done some of this before, but this time I want the students to approach the stories almost as mechanical devices to be taken apart and reassembled. Not that I said "almost."
Working alone or in pairs, the students will be assigned their own news story to disassemble into facts and sources, listing them on a fact/source inventory sheet.
Then the students will swap fact sheets from the different stories broken down by other students. From one student or team's inventory sheet another student or duo will reassemble the story — or a story, their story.
The final step will be comparing the new student-written story to the original, exploring questions that arise from the comparison. Here are just five:
• How do the leads (and hence the news judgment) differ?
• Did you find you wanted information that wasn't listed on the fact sheet?
• Was that missing information in the original story?
• Are the sources reliable?
• What other sources would improve the story?
I also want to press students to come up with their own exercises. In a way, I want them to work for that $70 they've saved and to help create a better "text" and a better course.
Right now I'm trying to figure out exactly where "Made to Stick," "The AP Stylebook" and "The Elements of Style" will fit in. I have a month to play with that part of the puzzle.
One other thing: I have recommended purchasing the essays of George Orwell, which should add no more than $3.50 to the cost of the "texts," if that. Our PCC library has Orwell's essays, which remain the gold standard of journalistic purpose, passion and conscience.
I may come back to my musings about this class on the blog. I want to offer an idea or two for your examination and criticism. If my sharing of ideas only results in self-examination and self-criticism, so be it.
Just knowing you are reading will steel me to the task.
Labels: George Orwell, Made to Stick, Portland Community College, The Elements of Style


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"iLearn Connect, has announced the launch of their new mobile platform designed to give users access to extensive resources including Learning Guides, Video Bites and Top 10 Tips." inform Monika Donimirska.
The learning platform offers over 150 topic areas covering
Management & Leadership, Personal Development, Communication Skills,
Customer Service & Sales and Business Skills.
iLearn Connect
is designed from a need for people to easily access learning content,
videos, top tips, questionnaires, checklists, work sheets and planning
tools both online and offline.
With a library packed full of high-quality learning resources
and an ever-growing demand for information through technology, iLearn
Connect offers a bespoke platform that delivers this valuable
information, caters for multiple learning styles, and ensures that
everyone can quickly access information relevant to their needs.
The launch of the new platform comes as part of the company's
long-term aim to meet the needs of its digitally-focused users by
offering a more convenient way to access information on the move using
their mobile and tablet devices.
Mobile Apps are available on IOS, Android and Windows devices.
As Mark Rose, Managing Director, iLearn Connect explains,
"Technology is totally reshaping learning and development. This new
platform has been designed to meet the growing demand from busy
professionals who want to access the information conveniently and
"However, the new platform isn't just about simply shifting
traditional paper-based resource onto screens – it's about allowing
users to make use of their devices to truly enhance their learning.
iLearn Connect will enable this by giving users the tools, information
and techniques for over 150 topics, which they can then easily re-visit
at any point in the future using their tablet or smartphone."
iLearn Connect
are looking forward to showcasing the mobile platform at the Learning
Technologies and Learning Skills exhibition on the 1st – 2nd February
2017 and welcome all attendees to visit stand Q14 for a demo.
Subscribe to my Email updates
Saturday, December 17, 2016
iLearn Connect launches a new mobile learning platform | Satellite PR News
Posted by Helge Scherlund at 17.12.16

subset: commoncrawl


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Ariana Grande becomes an honorary Mancunian!
Ariana Grande has become an honorary citizen of Manchester after councillors voted in favour of the motion on Wednesday!
Ariana becomes the first ever honorary citizen of the city after her work following the terrorist attack in May that killed 22 people. Less than a fortnight after the attack, Ari played a major part in organising the One Love Manchester concert which helped the Manchester emergency fund pass £10 million.
Council leader Sir Richard Lees spoke about Ariana Grande ahead of the announcement, he said (she's a) "young American woman for whom it would have been understandable if she never wanted to see this place again".
He added, "But no – instead she, as an artist, a performer, was determined that she would not perform again until she had returned to Manchester to perform,"
We're so down for Ariana becoming an honorary Manc... but why can't we have her as an honorary Brit?!
Ariana released a statement about the news which you can see below!
Get the latest showbiz news and gossip by following @TotalAccessShow!


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Naturescapes American Songbirds CD
Accepted Payment Methods:
• Recording Engineer: John Grout
• Mixed and mastered at Infinity Studio
• All new recordings by John Grout of songbirds recorded in forests across America
• Digitally recorded to make you feel like you are right there, with the birds of the forest
• Features: Eastern Meadowlark, American Cardinal, Vesper Sparrow, House Wren, Song Sparrow, Northern Mockingbird, Red-winged Blackbird, Blue Jay, Brewer's Sparrow, American Crow, Spotted Sandpiper, Green-tailed Towhee, Dark-eyed Junco, Yellow-breasted Chat, American Robin, Hairy Woodpecker, American Goldfinch, Northern Flicker, Mourning Dove, Black-capped Chickadee, Red-naped Sapsucker, Red-tailed Hawk and Barred Owl
The bird sounds help me to fall asleep.
The songbird CD does not identify the birds at all. That's what I wanted. I can listen to the birds everyday by going outside. I want to know which is which!
Write your own review and share your thoughts with other customers.
Why buy from Backyard Chirper?
- Extraordinary Customer Service - We don't just sell bird feeders, we eat, sleep and breathe birding. Call us and a real person will answer the phone.
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We Birds
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text:
Part-Time Courses
We aim to provide a range of courses to meet many interests, recruiting teachers with the skills and enthusiasm to give our learners a high quality learning experience.
Please click here for courses available from January 2020 >>
For further information please email email@example.com
Part-time course enrolment form
We value your opinion
Adult Leisure courses are an important part of our provision at The Henley College. We want to make sure that the courses we offer are right for the community. Please would you be kind enough to help us by filling in a short survey about the kind of courses we now offer and what you would like to see in the future. Many thanks for your participation.
Click HERE to start the survey


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GUILTY – Until Proven Innocent in Pakistan
Pakistan's government has passed the Protection of Pakistan bill into law refusing all suggested amendments by the opposition. Members of the national assembly boycotted proceedings as the government used its higher numbers to pass the bill. Some MPs tore copies of the bill, calling it a black law. Opposition members will be challenging the unconstitutional clauses of the law in court and build a public campaign against it.
Pakistan's government is adamant to press ahead with a stricter new law which it says will help fight "terrorism" and criminal elements.
The proposed legislation, which treads the path of US's homeland security act and other pieces of legislation, is raising unease among civil rights activists, who consider it a license to kill for Pakistan's security forces.
Lawyers at the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) have studied the ordinance and are concerned about the implications of some of the provisions.
"The extension of detention period from 30 days to 90 days is unrealistic. HRCP considers even 30 days is too long," the group's said in a statement. "Law enforcement agencies have been given powers to fire on suspicion (earlier it was in self-defence). We have already witnessed trigger-happy Rangers in Karachi, it will only make matters worse. We believe it legitimises disappearances. While it requires the authorities to inform families of those in custody, they are not bound to reveal the location. Denial of bail is another major concern."
Although it's believed that the law was actually drafted by the prime minister's office but most influential members of the ruling Muslim League Nawaz party are reluctant to speak on the subject of protection of Pakistan ordinance. "Many believe it is due to not just the harsh provisions but also because of wringing from agencies." Arshad Sharif is a senior security and political analyst. "PMLN is acting as if it's president passed the law on gunpoint. The controversial law is a difficult one for a politician to attach his or her name, so you can imagine why senior members are being elusive. They've made a mistake in succumbing to pressure by issuing the ordinance, now they are looking for an honourable exit from the fiasco so they can blame the opposition for burying the PPO".
Some members of the ruling party have brushed aside the concerns of activists. "They're making noise and it's their right to have their opinions. PPO was needed and it's the prerogative of the president to issue an ordinance. Due to the ongoing security situation in the country, we urgently needed a comprehensive law to empower security forces to deal with various challenges".
Dr. Ramesh Kumar Vankwani is part of the ruling PMLN government and a member of a parliamentary committee. Vankwani says the introduction of this law does give the security forces powers to arrest anyone but now they have to bring those arrests on record. "There is political consensus for peace in the county and for that PPO is necessary, it just shouldn't be misused. There are proper checks and balances to ensure no excesses are committed against anyone".
But that's precisely what analysts fear will happen. Mirza Shahzad Akbar, co-founder of the Foundation for Fundamental Rights, interprets the provision as cover for using torture and other means to force confessions."Agencies will torture you to make a statement and that will be treated as admissible piece of evidence in court. It further brings in reverse burden of proof, which means the arresting agency will only put an allegation on probabilities that you are a terrorist and you will have to prove that you are not," says Akbar.
Pakistan is a signatory of the UN Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CAT). But the proposed legislation makes any statements given to law enforcement agencies admissible in court.
Some activists also disagree with the special provisions of the ordinance granting powers to take away the citizenship of residents once they are proven guilty. Critics say the language is vague and builds the case with "reasonable evidence" and puts the onus on the accused to prove themselves innocent.
The law seems to clash with the independence of judiciary. Under this ordinance, the executive will appoint fresh judges of their own choice which means the government can hand pick judges to protect its interests rather than them being independent adjudicators.
In February the lower house temporarily extended the ordinance despite protests from opposition parties. "Ordinances – we have always opposed them," says Zohra Yusuf, Chairperson of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan. "All bills should be placed before parliament which can be summoned if emergency legislation is needed."
Legal experts believe he law could create a parallel judiciary in the guise of trying to quickly settle cases.
"Nationalists [including separatists in Balochistan, Sindh, FATA and some areas of Punjab] are worried because they are the 'usual suspects' for Pakistan's military, paramilitary and intelligence agencies. Because they demand rights based on their regional/ethnic interests, the Pakistani establishment sees them as 'traitors'" says Zohra.
But Vankwani disagrees "Before the PPO security forces had no right to arrest or take custody, now all arrests will be in the knowledge of the government and address issues like that of missing people."
New laws needed?
Opposition lawmakers say tough laws already exist to tackle political violence. Pakistan's government needs to focus on implementing and improving existing laws, they say, rather than distracting itself by creating new ones. Many argue that current political and religious violence is due to the failure of basic policing and governance issues which cannot be fixed with more pieces of legislation.
Activists say they can understand the government's desperation in confronting militancy but don't agree with the proposed solutions.
Last month, Pakistan drew up its first ever National Security Policy. The government says it means business when it comes to reshaping the security environment in a decade old conflict which has claimed more than 50,000 lives.
"There is no doubt that the government would want and actually does want to work on securing Pakistan but the approach doesn't seem to be right. With laws like PPO the risk of creating more dissent is far greater than actually solving any issue." says Akbar.
A senior government advisor likened the PPO to the US Patriot Act, an imposing law passed over a decade ago.
Members of the PMLN say the law is meant to provide checks and balance on the activities of security forces. Dr. Ramesh Kumar Vankwani says it is still being deliberated in the lower house. "By that time if talks with Taliban are successful, the law and order situation improves there might not be the need for this legislation and the government can pull the ordinance or law"
Rafia Zakaria is on the board of directors of Amnesty International. She disagrees with the direction taken by Pakistan's government. "In a general sense the law represents the legacy of the war on terror… Reduction of rights for defendants, longer periods of detention without charges and the suspension of procedural safeguards," she said. "It also creates disproportionate criminalisation of impoverished communities with the poor, ethnic and religious minorities bearing the brunt of their burden."
This is not the first time Pakistan's government has tried to pass controversial security legislation.
In 2011, a presidential decree (which was later made into law) issued two similarly regulations to provide legal cover to the armed forces' actions during the military operations in the tribal areas called the Actions (in Aid of Civil Power) Regulation, 2011 for FATA and PATA.
Recently, Pakistan's Supreme Court ordered a meeting between a man booked under these laws and his family. Tasif (alias Danish) was picked up two years ago and his father-in-law says he seems to have been badly tortured during his incarceration. The security forces had been denying custody of Tasif when he went missing. Then he suddenly appeared in detention.
"What kind of fraud are you committing with the people?" a judge said to the Additional Attorney General representing government agents. "For the last two years we kept on asking about him and you kept denying you knew. What will the people think? Are our intelligence agencies always lying? What kind of country is this?"
Human Rights campaigners believe that toughening of laws is not a solution. There are enough terror-related laws as well as anti-terrorist courts. The main issues are of enforcement and prosecution. The evidence against those charged with terrorism is usually so poor that over 60 percent are acquitted by the courts
Vankwani is confident that the PMLN government will not tolerate if random people are picked up by agencies but he feels that it's worth facing opposition in giving a free hand to security forces to take action on targetable intelligence. "PPO is not meant to allow violation of human rights but to improve the current situation and an attempt to bring those (like the ones responsible for missing people) under a system of accountability."
But those fighting to keep civil liberties say that concrete steps are needed to establish the writ of the state, until then, the crutches of ordinances to stumble clear of tough decisions will be ineffective in saving lives or providing any lasting solution.
From AlJazeera Website
Musharraf: a landmark indictment for Pakistan's democracy and constitution
Pakistan's once most powerful man – a dictator, former military chief and president – has been indicted of high treason under the constitution of Pakistan. A first indictment for a military dictator in a country which has been predominantly ruled by them. When Musharraf ended his exile many wondered why he would give up an easy life in Dubai and London – maybe it was fate.
The former commando was adamant – saying he came back to save his country."I was thinking the government would call me back, and would say 'Save Pakistan' but that did not happen. Today my nation ordered me to come back. I came back, putting my life in danger, to save Pakistan." said Musharraf after landing to a small crowd in Karachi.
He failed to see that it wasn't the same Pakistan which he ruled ten years ago – the judges who forced him out, were now powerful. Many were amazed at the stunt because Musharraf was forced out of power by the judiciary he tried to rule. And court cases piled up against him. Political analyst Mosharraf Zaidi says Musharraf represents a huge baggage for the military and it's unlikely he'll spend any time behind bars.
Musharraf faces criticism for shortcomings ranging from
Benazir Bhutto's killing , killing a Baloch separatist leader Akbar Bugti, mishandling of Lal Masjid , allowing U.S. drone attacks on Pakistan, sending Pakistanis for torture abroad , selling detainees for dollars , depriving Pakistan of economic boom at the start of the millennium and systematically destroying Pakistan's institutions and many many more.
He had taken refuge in his farmhouse (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fvrxd812huk) and avoided several court hearings to escape indictment. Bombs were found, a Taliban letter was produced and in the most dramatic of the moves he fell "sick" during a drive to the court. Now Musharraf's ailing mother has been taken to hospital in Dubai – and his lawyers are preparing a case to get his name off the exit control list to allow him to leave Pakistan.
But controversy was nothing new for Musharraf. In 1999 Indian and Pakistani troops came close to war in the Kashmiri area north of Kargil. During that conflict General Musharraf was plotting how to rule Pakistan. And he took power in a bloodless coup and later named himself President.
Then, two years later, after the September 11 attacks, Musharraf decided to align Pakistan with the so-called U.S. war on terror. Qazi Hussain Ahmed, the Former Jamat i Islami chief said the general buckled. "General Musharraf is under American pressure, this is not a war against terror this is a war against Islam"
Musharraf then supported the invasion of Afghanistan…though he later said the US had threatened to bomb Pakistan unless it joined the fight against al-Qaeda. Musharraf was in a fine balancing act. Managing a US-Pakistan relationship on one hand and trying not to completely sever ties with tribal fighters on the other.
Believed to have given approval for U.S. drones to operate from Pakistan, Musharraf also had to sign agreements with tribal fighters in the north. But his approach failed to stop the resurgence of the Taliban and Al Qaeda –whose attacks killed more than 50,000 Pakistanis in the last ten years. For the first time Pakistan had to deploy troops to the north to stop fighters from operating in Afghanistan. On the eastern border the relationship with India also saw some major lows.
And all his efforts to improve the economy were forgotten when Musharraf came under fire at home. The suspension of Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammed Chaudhry in March 2007 triggered street demonstrations by lawyers and the civil society. And opposition parties also joined the protests. His political legitimacy was under attack – and the movement eventually led to Musharraf's humiliating resignation.
And that's where the spiral to the ground began. Musharraf returned to Pakistan despite these and many legal and political problems including from Taliban fighters – who tried to assassinate him three times during his time in office. He also found the hard way that he had very little support on the ground and all those who support him on social media aren't voters in Pakistan.
Here are the formal charges he faces.
General (Retired) Pervez Musharraf may be formally charged as under:
a) Firstly, on 3rd November, 2007 at Rawalpindi as Chief of the Army Staff, he issued an unconstitutional and unlawful "Proclamation of Emergency Order, 2007" which, unconstitutionally and unlawfully, held the Constitution of Islamic Republic of Pakistan, 1973 in abeyance and he thereby subverted the Constitution and thus committed the offence of high treason punishable under section 2 of the High Treason (Punishment) Act, 1973 (Act LXVIII of 1973), which is within the jurisdiction of the Special Court established under section 4 of The Criminal Law Amendment (Special Courts) Act, 1976 (XVII of 1976).
b) Secondly, on 3rd November, 2007 at Rawalpindi as Chief of the Army Staff, he issued an unconstitutional and unlawful "Provisional Constitution Order No. 1 of 2007" which, unconstitutionally and unlawfully, empowered the President to amend the Constitution of Islamic Republic of Pakistan, 1973 from time to time and he also suspended the Fundamental Rights enshrined in Articles 9, 10, 15, 16, 17, 19 and 25 of the Constitution and he thereby subverted the Constitution and thus committed the offence of high treason punishable under section 2 of the High Treason (Punishment) Act, 1973 (Act LXVIII of 1973), which is within the jurisdiction of the Special Court established under section 4 of The Criminal Law Amendment (Special Courts) Act, 1976 (XVII of 1976).
c) Thirdly, on 3rd November, 2007 at Rawalpindi as President of Islamic Republic of Pakistan, he issued an unconstitutional and unlawful "Oath of Office (Judges) Order, 2007" whereby an oath was, unconstitutionally and unlawfully, introduced in the Schedule which required a judge to abide by the provisions of the Proclamation of Emergency dated 03.11.2007 and the Provisional Constitutional Order dated 03.11.2007 to perform acts and functions in accordance thereof and this order also resulted in removal of numerous judges of the superior courts including the Hon'ble Chief Justice of Pakistan and he thereby subverted the Constitution of Islamic Republic of Pakistan, 1973 and thus committed the offence of high treason punishable under section 2 of the High Treason (Punishment) Act, 1973 (Act LXVIII of 1973), which is within the jurisdiction of the Special Court established under section 4 of The Criminal Law Amendment (Special Courts) Act, 1976 (XVII of 1976).
d) Fourthly, on 20th November, 2007 at Rawalpindi as President of Islamic Republic of Pakistan, he issued an unconstitutional and unlawful Order 5 of 2007 "Constitution (Amendment) Order, 2007" whereby Articles 175, 186-A, 198, 218, 270B and 270C were, unconstitutionally and unlawfully, amended and Article 270AAA was added to the Constitution of Islamic Republic of Pakistan, 1973 and he thereby subverted the Constitution and thus committed the offence of high treason punishable under section 2 of the High Treason (Punishment) Act, 1973 (Act LXVIII of 1973), which is within the jurisdiction of the Special Court established under section 4 of The Criminal Law Amendment (Special Courts) Act, 1976 (XVII of 1976).
e) Fifthly, on 14th December, 2007 at Rawalpindi as President of Islamic Republic of Pakistan, he issued an unconstitutional and unlawful Order 6 of 2007 "Constitution (Second Amendment) Order, 2007" whereby the Constitution of Islamic Republic of Pakistan, 1973 was, unconstitutionally and unlawfully, amended and he thereby subverted the Constitution and thus committed the offence of high treason punishable under section 2 of the High Treason (Punishment) Act, 1973 (Act LXVIII of 1973), which is within the jurisdiction of the Special Court established under section 4 of The Criminal Law Amendment (Special Courts) Act, 1976 (XVII of 1976).
The special court set up to try Musharraf has rejected his plea to visit his sick mother and seek cardiac treatment abroad. The court says removing his name on the exit control list is the prerogative of the government.
Stephen Cohen is a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution and a South Asia Analyst. He says if Pakistan's judiciary becomes vengeful, it will lose all the ground it's recovered since ousting a dictator from power." I'd hate to see the Pakistani system turn into a revenge system. The courts, judiciary and even the military should let justice take its course. But not treat him abusively. He's been humiliated, he's been disgraced but you don't want to begin a process of hanging people of charges many others are guilty of." said Cohen.
And that's his defence so far. His supporters insist that it was necessary at that time to remove a democratically elected prime minister and Musharraf did not act alone. Legal experts agree that the constitution is clear that whoever "aided and abetted" in the acts of treason must face justice. Some argue that Musharraf's case should be the beginning and all those politicians, judges, bureaucrats and generals who helped Musharraf subvert the constitution must now face the music. But the trail must not become a farce and individuals must be given a fair chance to defend themselves.
His critics call Musharraf a victim of his own vanity and arrogance. And now he faces the possibility of the death penalty. Although most commentators do not believe that he will face the death penalty BUT this indictment has set a precedent for future adventurers in the garb of patriotism and doctrine of necessity.
For Musharraf perhaps it's the legacy he wanted to have – that of insisting on defiance with not much defence in the face of obvious repercussions.
Protected: South to North; Pakistan in 20 days
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ZulfiLeaks: MQM Secretariat address
MQM says the address is incorrect on Altaf Hussain's letter to Tony Blair that was provided by Zulfiqar Mirza. Interestingly the same address on MQM.ORG is registered till 2014. MQM's secretariat address on their official website is 54 – 58, First Floor, Elizabeth House, High Street Edgware, Middlesex, HA8 7EJ, United Kingdom while the address on the letter is 70 Colindale Avenue, London NW9 5ES. The latter address is registered to handle MQM's official website.
The address is also present on a press release on MQM.org http://www.mqm.org/English-News/Dec-2000/news001208a.htm
In case it is removed:
The header is — MQM SEEKS VIEW OF THE WORKERS AND PEOPLE WHETHER TO REMAIN PART OF THE ALLIANCE FOR RESTORATION OF DEMOCRACY (A R D).
Dated: Karachi-8 December 2000
The address says — The workers and the public could also send their views to the MQM International Secretariat, London on the following address. MQM International Secretariat
70 Colindale Avenue, London NW9 5ES, United Kingdom.
Phone No: 00 44 20 8358 9000, Fax. No: 00 44 20 8905 9527
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
As the guns of Karachi continue to incinerate, the torture on the streets is ongoing and innocents continue to fall; so does the bickering between the power echelons. The PPP and the MQM are the beneficiaries of the Karachi vote bank and so are responsible for its tribulations. In the past nine months at least one person has been killed every hour on the streets of Karachi – NON STOP! Someone, somewhere must feel the pain….as my city continues to bleed!!!
PS: Here is the full letter…worth reading
For the record; The infamous Benazir-Peter Letter
Here is the letter MQM's Mustafa Kamal referred to and an email I received from Peter Galbraith (Not Gabriel) when I came across this letter. Peter Galbraith calls it a forgery and a crude hoax. I had forgotten about this until today when Mr Kamal made a reference to this letter asking why the media doesnt pick on this and continues to play on Zulfiqar Mirza's allegations that Altaf Hussain wrote a letter to Tony Blair offering him support of thousands of followers. I havent heard from Mr Blair's office yet but will share it as soon as we can verify or deny the contents of the letter.
To: Osama Javaid <>Dear Osama,
This letter was exposed as a crude hoax 20 years ago. I cannot imagine why this forgery is being recycled today. There are many obvious signs of forgery and I won't go through all of them. But, here are a few:
1. The forger misspelled my name. It is "Galbraith" not "Gailbraith". Benazir and I were very close friends. She was also very close to my family, including my father who was a well known personality at Harvard and in South Asia. It is impossible that she would misspell the Galbraith family name.
2. I worked for the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in 1990, and have never worked for the National Democratic Institute. Benazir knew this very well since she had practically lived in my office at various times in the 1980s.
3. Benazir was a Pakistani patriot who never advocated cutting off aid to Pakistan and would never have wanted Indian troops on the Pakistani border.
I was amazed that there were journalists and editors in Pakistan who actually fell for this hoax. I am sure you and Dawn are sophisticated enough to spot this obvious fraud which leads me to wonder why you have written me about it.
All the best
Peter Galbraith
Ramblings …
Among the world's most despised professions are politics and journalism. I guess that was just a sentence when I was a young aspiring reporter and the true manifestation hits you hard in the face. In the pursuit of truth (not-news-of-the-world-style) you are required to ruffle feathers, shake confidences and must be trustworthy at the same time. It is a difficult balancing act as everybody hates your guts. It doesn't matter if the underlying theme of your story is for the betterment of the society, all involved parties treat you with a fishing pole.
So how do you dig out alternative narratives? How do you insist on the truth when everyone wants you to tow their line? And most importantly how long can you last, banging your head against brick walls? The sycophants who claim to be watchdogs make you nauseous .
Inspiration is the key but in case of Pakistan, it is a rare commodity becoming scarcer by the second. Going against the tide is too much even if you try and go around the tide; guess what, no one wants you to. Comfort zones of sources, institutions and hypocrites block you with full force. You want the good old days when people said what they meant and meant what they said but they just want to hint between the lines. So when faced with the figurative and literal bulldozers out to offset any non-conventional and creative thinking, how do you survive? The suffocation becomes so intense that you find yourself gagging to breathe. At times its being sensible and responsible and at times its about being politically correct to maintain peace. Whether it is the uncomfortable truth about so-called national interest, the realpolitik, corruption of sacred cows or any other thing "THEY" don't want you to touch. As a journalist you fear for your team, your family and at times yourself.
Its not just me, here's what a dear friend wrote after successive killing sprees in the financial hub of Pakistan "The state has abdicated its power to the non-state actors. As a journalist, I am also part of the conspiracy of silence prevailing in Karachi. Like many of my colleagues, I know things which I cannot reveal. I am part of the Omerta. I have to live with imposed silence as I see Karachi burning, lives being lost. All of us have our hands tainted with the blood of innocents in the name of peace and hoping to live with the lies for another day. But, for how long? Somebody has to break that code of imposed silence"
I say to colleagues that optimism and hope are our only two weapons as darkness continues to engulf Pakistan but my words echo in my increasingly hollowing aspirations. The only solace – where's the fun in giving up!
Of "STEALTH" swimsuits and defence through press releases…
Cassius said in Julius Caesar, "The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars — but in ourselves…"
A spokesperson of the ISPR has strongly refuted reports in the media quoting unnamed US sources that elements in Pakistan security forces tipped off terrorists helping them to escape the purported IED factories in Waziristan. This assertion is totally false and malicious and the facts on ground are contrary to it. Explaining further the spokesperson said that intelligence information was received regarding four compounds suspected of being used as IED making facilities. Operations were launched on all. Two were found to be used as IED making facilities and have been destroyed. Information on other to proved to be incorrect. Some persons have been arrested and they are under investigation.
Why is it that these claims are repeatedly being made? Why is the Pakistani military establishment under the microscope after the Abbottabad incident? How many of us were surprised when the actual story surfaced alleging Panetta showed the Pakistani military of the militant factories CIA tipped them about and then before they could attack, militants fled.
PNS Mehran was a classic example where the finger pointers forgot that it was their own inefficiencies that led to the attack and failure to protect their assets. Why was there a 50 yr old barbed wire protection for billions of rupees of taxpayers money? why werent there CCTV cameras? why weren't the checkposts manned? why did no one pay heed to the previous attacks on navy? why was there no intelligence? why were the lights switched off rather than everything being lit up to identify attackers?
Stop pointing fingers and identify your failures first. Not saying that the US and India might not take advantage but unless you plug the loopholes, everyone else will take advantage too.
This the message forwarded by a friend from a US-fault-finder…
Where do we go from here?!
I met an officer of my unit at a wedding on Sunday 29 may '11. As my unit is in Malir, I asked him if he had any knowledge of the Mehran attack. He said, his company was the one called in for the operation as it was on rapid deployment force duty. He gave me a blow by blow account of what happened. I shall only give the gist of what he said.
The runway of Shahrah e faisal is shared by the Navy as well as the PAF. The runway is the dividing line.
At the perimeter of the naval base is a nullah about 15-20 meters wide. This is full of shrubs and trees and bushes. The terrorists had parked their vehicles about two KMs down and walked along the far side of the nullah. At exactly 90 degrees from the Orions they built a proper infantry fashion Assault Bridge. They crossed the nullah over the assault bridge, and made a bee line to the Orions. Four of the attackers went round from the PAF side and took up positions facing the Orions, across the runway.
They fired all the seventy rocket launchers they had brought onto and into the two parked Orions. The destruction was total. The officer said except for two pieces of tyres of an aircraft which he saw, everything else was total ashes.
The attackers had come in totally undetected. When they fired the rockets simultaneously, the local naval security forces rushed to the point. They ran in along the runway. The firing went on for about 12-15 mns. Immediately after the fire the attackers on the Naval side withdrew across the assault bridge and disappeared. No one knows how many they were. Figures quoted are only conjectures.
When the local security forces rushed along the runway, they inadvertently cut off the route of withdrawal of the four attackers. And a cross fire started between the two sides.
In the meantime, this officers company had reached the mehran base by about 11 pm. However, they had orders 'from above', to not to enter the base. They could hear the firing but were not allowed to move in.
At 1:30 in the morning they were allowed to move in but were prohibited to open fire. At this stage I asked him if they had been sent in to sell pakoras! He was quite cut up and said the troops were very upset about it too. But their orders were very strict – no fire.
By this time all fire had stopped before they were allowed to move in.
They knew that four attackers were still there in the PAF area. An area search was carried out but no one was found because of the night. After first light along with the Zarrar company of SSG the grounds were scoured. An officer with a jawan were searching for a lost magazine, as they neared a large bush, they were fired upon. The sepoy was injured. The officer fired back and killed the attacker. Thereafter three more were killed in an exchange of fire. No more bodies were found
While this company was being held outside the Base, the officer said he saw Rahman malik on the TV giving a running commentary on the action as if he was standing in the witness stand!! He also stated that before they were allowed in, RM was announcing very happily "all the terrorists have escaped. No one has been killed or captured". The troops and officers were all aghast at his attitude and his glee!!
All the weapons and equipment found on the site and attackers was of Russian origin.
The attackers were in the middle of two bases and all the aircraft of the PN and PAF were within their beat. They could have destroyed or incapacitated most of the PAF aircraft and helicopters including Lamas. But nothing else was touched.. They had concentrated their total fire power onto the total destruction of the two Orions only.
The Americans on the base were flown out the same night.
I have tried to reproduce what the officer said, verbatim.
My observations.
These Orions had been used for surveillance in Baluchistan where the Americans are actively involved in terrorist activities. All their activities were monitored and the wireless messages were recorded. This is the capacity of the Orion. And therefore that could have been a great embarrassment for the Americans if it leaked out. Hence the Orions had to be destroyed so much that the recorders and black boxes were destroyed too along with the nefarious evidence.
The attackers came direct onto the two parked Orions because they were guided through Satellite GPS. The Americans at the base were acting as FACs to direct them. They had finished their jobs and were no longer required. Their safety demanded they be not available for any interrogation etc.
RM was in charge of the operations, and thus the peculiar orders to the army unit, ostensibly for the safety of his American friends
Another revealing news I got was that the Americans are paying USD 500millions each annually to Asif, Rahman and Nawaz Sharif to keep their mouths shut and look after US interests. One of the bankers being quoted said he had been involved personally in the transaction of $500 M in the case of Nawaz!
The photo of one attacker killed shows a full tattoo on his left arm fro stout shoulder to hand. This excludes the person being a Taliban, a Muslim, Pakistani or even Indian. Its not part of our culture. Russian or Europeans would have a single tattoo. The full arm or body tattoos are only American culture. Draw your own conclusions.
I thought you should know.
( Name removed )
Can we just stop blaming other and fix our own problems first. How long before we are mature enough to take responsibility for the ambit we're responsible for. Maybe we all should read Cassius' comments again…
Brutal Killing in Karachi – The SC Verdict
A five member bench headed by Hon'ble Chief Justice of Pakistan
Mr. Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry and other Hon'ble members of the Bench Mr.Justice Javed Iqbal, Mr. Justice Nasir-ul-Mulk, Mr. Justice Tariq Parvez and Mr. Justice Amir Hani Muslim heard the Suo Motu Case No. 10 of 2011 regarding brutal killing of a young man by Rangers in Karachi.
Maulvi Anwar-ul-Haq, Attorney General for Pakistan, Mr. Shafi Ahmed Memon, Additional Adv. General Sindh, Mr. Qamar Zaman Chaudhry, Secretary Interior. Mr. Abdul Subhan Memon, Chief Secretary, Govt. of Sindh, Mr. Fayyaz Ahmed Leghari, Provincial Police Officer Sindh, Mr. Muhammad Ejaz Chaudhry, Director General, Pakistan Rangers, Mr. Muhammad Riaz-ud-Din, Acting Home Secretary Sindh and Mr. Anwar Subhani, Acting AIG (Legal) appeared before the Court on Court notice. The Bench disposed of the matter by the following order:-
"Pursuant to incident of murder of one Sarfraz Ahmed at the hands of Sindh Rangers in the vicinity of Benazir Park, Block-VI, Gate-II, Karachi, video clips were shown by most of the prominent TV Channels, same have been watched in Court today, which prima facie establish that about 5/6 persons in uniform initially caught hold of Sarfraz Ahmed (deceased) from his hairs and thereafter one of them opened fire, due to which Sarfraz Ahmed sustained injuries and fell down, crying for his life, begging them that he should be removed to hospital.
2. Unfortunately, none of the police and Rangers officials present on the spot helped the deceased Sarfraz Ahmed (then injured) as a result whereof he succumbed to injuries in their presence. The manner, in which the death of Sarfraz Ahmed deceased has occurred, clearly indicates barbarism because once he had been overpowered, as it is evident from the video clips, he was not to be fired upon in any case and at the best the Rangers personnel could have handed him over to the police, if there was an allegation of his being involved in the commission of some offence.
3. In order to conceal/smokescreen the highhandedness of both i.e. Rangers and Police, with the connivance of each other, they registered FIR No. 225 of 2011, on 08.06.2011 at Police Station Boat Bason, District Town Clifton at 7.30 pm, against the incident that took place at 5.15 pm on the complaint of one Afsar Khan son of Gul Mohiuddin under Sections 393/353/324 PPC. As per the version of the complainant, a person armed with a pistol threatened one Alam Zeb and his wife, statedly in front of the complainant, to hand over whatever valuable they have got with them and during this, the Rangers posted at the place reached there; on seeing the Rangers the dacoit ( ) /deceased, opened fire with intention to commit their murder; therefore, the Rangers also opened fire in their self defence due to which the dacoit sustained injuries on his body and the pistol in his hand also fell down; his name was learnt to be Sarfraz. The complainant further stated that the injured dacoit was shifted to Jinnah Hospital in the CHEEPA Ambulance. His claim was that as the said Sarfraz had demanded money on gunpoint and had intervened in the official duty of the Rangers and had also extended threat to their life, as such case may be registered.
4. The above FIR was followed by another FIR No.226 of 2011 of same Police Station dated 08.06.2011 at 7.45 pm. under Section 13D of the Arms Ordinance, with regard to pistol, allegedly recovered from the deceased with magazine with three rounds and as the same was without licence, therefore, a separate case was registered against him.
5. After registration of these FIRs, on 09.06.2011 at 00.30 (midnight) FIR No.227 of 2011 was registered under Section 302/34 PPC at the same Police Station on the complaint of Syed Salik Shah son of Khameen Shah, wherein he deposed that on coming to know that his brother Sarfraz Ahmed had a quarrel at Benazir Park, where the Police and Rangers were present, he went to Boat Bason Police Station and met Zulfiqar, SI, who informed him that his brother has been injured, therefore, he had been shifted to Jinnah Hospital; when he (the complainant) reached Jinnah Hospital, he found his brother's dead body lying in the Emergency. According to the contents of this FIR, he named two persons i.e. Muhammad Afzal and Shahid Zafar alongwith their other colleagues and two unknown persons to have committed the murder of his brother; therefore, action according to law may be taken.
6. The narration of above facts regarding FIR are entirely contrary to the video clips played in Court, as it is evident therein that one person had got hold of Sarfraz who was empty handed; that person pushed Sarfraz towards the Rangers present near a vehicle parked over there; the Rangers present overpowered him and they directed him to face upward; during this course he was caught hold from his hairs and collar of the shirt, there was a commotion that "he is the same person" and he was then moved by pushing him towards the Rangers; in the meantime, one of the Rangers personnel fired upon him as a result, he got injured and fell down and started crying, begging Rangers personnel that he should be shifted to the hospital but all the Rangers officials present over there had been watching him; meanwhile the blood started oozing out from his injuries and he succumbed to the injuries while lying in the pool of blood.
7. The Police although had registered the FIR No. 225 and FIR No. 226 of 2011 but have not stated a single word about the death of Sarfraz and in a clandestine manner stated that he had been shifted to Jinnah Hospital as injured. Even subsequent thereto, no case was registered about this murder by the police officials, until his brother Syed Salik Shah came to Police Station and got registered the case at 00:30 (midnight) on 09.06.2011 till such time the complainant had limited information about the occurrence as mentioned hereinabove.
We may mention here that it was not only the duty of the police concerned but of the Provincial Police Officer as well as Director General Rangers, to take notice of the matter, as they must have learnt about the incident which was widely aired by the electronic media and there was a lot of hue and cry regarding this incident; furthermore the family of the deceased alongwith other citizens had also started raising voice against highhandedness of these law enforcing agencies. Surprisingly, when the case vide FIR No.227 of 2011 was registered, even then except two persons, whose names were mentioned in the FIR lodged by the complainant, the custody of remaining persons, who were very much visible at the scene of crime, were not handed over nor the police demanded them for the purpose of investigation. As far as the awareness of the incident is concerned, it was very much available on all TV Channels.
When we enquired from the DG Rangers, he admitted that because only two persons were nominated in the FIR, therefore, their custody was handed over; as far as the other Rangers personnel present on the spot are concerned, according to him, they are in the custody of the Rangers. This conduct on the part of the Police as well as Rangers does not seem to be above board. When such a heinous crime has been reported by the electronic media/TV Channels, they should have come forward with all fairness and should have got arrested all the persons, who were involved in the case.
8. We do not know about the status of investigation because the things have been mixed up deliberately by the Police while registering the FIRs in the manner as it has been discussed hereinabove and this is nothing but a device to save the persons, who are apparently seems to be involved in the commission of the offence. We do believe that under the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, it is the State who is responsible to provide protection and safety to the life of all its citizens, but in the instant incident facts are other way round i.e. negation of Article 9 of the Constitution.
9. Accepting for the sake of argument that the deceased was involved in some criminal case, which apparently seems to be incorrect, the Rangers had no authority to open fire upon him. Reference in this behalf can be made to Mehram Ali v. Federation of Pakistan (PLD 1998 SC 1445), wherein this aspect of the case has been discussed by this Court by clearly stating that under Section 5(2)(i) of the Anti Terrorism Act, 1997, the Rangers have no authority to open fire.
10 the meeting with the Prime Minister in some other matter. Before leaving for the meeting with the Prime Minister, the Chief Secretary stated that he admits that the present incident is a case of utter violation on the part of these law enforcing agencies to enforce law and he surrenders before this Court for the incompetency of these law enforcing agencies in this regard. He assured that protection to the life and property of the cameraman of a private TV Channel "AWAZ", who had prepared the original video of the incident, shall be provided. In view of his statement, we direct him to do the needful. Mr. Riazuddin, Acting Home Secretary, Government of Sindh, present in Court, had placed on record a copy of the notification dated 3rd February, 2010; however, this notification is silent about powers that have been conferred upon the Rangers and the manner in which the same has to be exercised.
11. When we enquire from the Provincial Police Officer about the progress of the case, surprisingly he gave reply that today remand of the two accused persons shall be taken and then the investigation will start; whereas the DG Rangers pointed out that two empties shell, fired from the service rifle by an accused, have been handed over to the police today at about 9.00 am alongwith his service rifle. Similarly, the custody of the two accused has been given yesterday at night whereas the custody of the remaining officials as well as the persons, who were Incharge of the Company has not so far been handed over.
12. From the above noted facts and circumstances, it is not difficult to visualize that how this incident had taken place and the manner in which both the high-ups i.e. of the Police and the Rangers, had dealt with the same. It is a classical case of highhandedness of the law enforcing agencies and instead of feeling sense of responsibility and showing uprightness and honesty, they are, even today, concealing the facts while appearing before this Court. Therefore, under these circumstances, we apprehend that the investigation of the case would not be conducted properly and impartially, in presence of both these senior officers i.e. Mr. Fayyaz Ahmed Leghari, PPO Sindh and Mr. Muhammad Ejaz Chaudhry, DG Rangers (Sindh), as such through Attorney General for Pakistan, we direct that they should be posted out within a period of three days and in the meantime some alternate arrangements should be made. However, if after three days, the notifications in this regard are not issued, it is directed to withhold the salaries of above two officers as they would not be entitled for the same till the notification of their posting out is not issued. This part of our order shall be enforced/implemented by the Secretary Interior by proceeding according to relevant rules. Meanwhile, Mr. Sultan Khawaja, DIG Karachi, who is statedly a reputable officer, is directed to take over the charge of the investigation against all the culprits and complete the same within a period of seven days, by applying all appropriate provisions of law as the matter seems to attract prima facie Section 7 of the ATA, 1997, and shall send up challan before the Court of competent jurisdiction. He shall also submit progress report of his investigation to the Registrar of this Court for our perusal in Chambers.
13. The Court seized of the matter shall decide the same by conducing trial on day to day basis, by not taking more than 30 days, without being influenced in any manner from the instant proceedings. Ultimate result of the trial shall be communicated to the Registrar of this Court for our perusal in Chambers.
This Suo Motu Case stands disposed of accordingly."
The latest wikileaks cables reveal that the Saudi monarch, King Abdullah believes that former military dictator Gen Retd Musharraf may be the best option for Pakistan's security. Saudi intelligence chief frankly tells the americans about Saudi preferences: "Prince Muqrin said that while the King considers both Sharif and Musharraf friends, he considers Musharraf the better person to handle anti-terror issues."
The candid behind-the-scenes details of Mr Sharif's return to exile in Saudi Arabia shared by Prince Muqrin with the US Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Ford M. Fraker, are documented in a secret cable from the US consulate in Jeddah on Sept 12, 2007.
Delving into the complexities of Pakistani politics, Prince Muqrin also "speculated that there is probably an agreement between Sharif and the Pakistani Chief Justice, adding that if the Chief Justice grants Sharif the right to return to Pakistan and Sharif wins, the Chief Justice will become President."
The Saudi prince went on to state "that he is almost certain the Chief Justice will side with Sharif, noting that he believes the run-up to the November election will be tense."
The cable reveals that former prime minister Nawaz Sharif "thought he might be arrested" upon his return to Saudi Arabia after deportation from Pakistan on Sept 10, 2007, but Prince Muqrin, Head of General Intelligence Presidency, Saudi Arabia, gave Sharif "two options — he could either stay at a palace that had been prepared for him, or at his home. He opted to go to his home."
"During Ambassdor Fraker's meeting with Prince Muqrin, the Prince first summarised the ten-year agreement, brokered by Rafik Hariri, under which Sharif would live in Saudi Arabia and refrain from participating in Pakistani politics. He added that there was a verbal agreement that after five years, they would hold negotiations to consider reducing that ten year period," according to the secret cable.
Prince Muqrin went on to describe "how Saad Al-Hariri warned Sharif not to return to Pakistan, but how Sharif disregarded the warning and went anyway."
After Sharif's forcible return from Pakistan to Jeddah, Prince Muqrin received the former Pakistani prime minister at the airport at which point the two discussed where Mr Sharif would stay.
Prince Muqrin also told Sharif that there would be "some restrictions" on his activities "for a short while, at least through the November elections, to reduce the likelihood of inciting rioting among his supporters in Pakistan."
Ambassador Fraker was also told that "Sharif will remain in Saudi Arabia until after the Pakistani elections in November." Sharif eventually returned to Pakistan on Nov 25, 2007, by which point elections were to be held in early 2008.
"The Prince explained that, as in Lebanon, the Pakistani constitution requires individuals working within the government to be outside government for two years prior to becoming President. Therefore a constitutional change would be required for Musharraf to become President."
In a previously released cable from 2007, the Saudi ambassador to the US, Adel al-Jubeir boasts "We in Saudi Arabia are not observers in Pakistan, we are participants,". A senior US official later bemoaned as "negative" the Saudi influence. Al-Jubeir added that for the SAG, stability in Pakistan is an essential strategic matter. Since Pakistan possesses both nuclear weapons and delivery vehicles, from the Saudi point of view, the policy choice to be made there boils down to a drastic choice: "We can either support Musharraf and stability, or we can allow bin Laden to get the bomb, "he told the Charge'.
In another cable from November 2008 by Bryan Hunt, the then Principal Officer at the US Consulate in Lahore, was based on information from discussions with local government and non-governmental sources during his trips to the cities of Multan and Bahawalpur.
Quoting local interlocutors, Hunt attempts to explain how the "sophisticated jihadi recruitment network" operated in a region dominated by the Barelvi sect, which, according to the cable, made south Punjab "traditionally hostile" to Deobandi and Ahl-i-Hadith schools of thought.
Hunt refers to a "network of Deobandi and Ahl-i-Hadith mosques and madrassahs" being strengthened through an influx of "charity" which originally reached organisations "such as Jamaat-ud-Dawa and Al-Khidmat foundation". Portions of these funds would then be given away to clerics "in order to expand these sects' presence" in a relatively inhospitable yet "potentially fruitful recruiting ground".
Outlining the process of recruitment for militancy, the cable describes how "families with multiple children" and "severe financial difficulties" were generally being exploited for recruitment purposes. Families first approached by "ostensibly 'charitable'" organisations would later be introduced to a "local Deobandi or Ahl-i-Hadith maulana" who would offer to educate the children at his madrassah and "find them employment in the service of Islam". "Martyrdom" was also "often discussed", with a final cash payment to the parents. "Local sources claim that the current average rate is approximately Rs 500,000 (approximately USD 6,500) per son," the cable states.
The cable sent to the State Department stated that "financial support estimated at nearly 100 million USD annually was making its way to Deobandi and Ahl-i-Hadith clerics in south Punjab from organisations in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates ostensibly with the direct support of those governments."


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online event planning with affordable solutions303.918.2763
October 19, 2009 - Get Ready to Dine & D'art
What: Kickoff party for ArtReach's signature Dine & D'art event
Where: Egg & Dart, Ltd. at the Denver Design Center
When: Monday October 19, 2009
Time: 5-7 p.m.
Ticket Prices: complimentary
Beneficiary: ArtReach
Honoree(s): Adam Lerner
Honorary Chairperson(s): Mary Caulkins
Co-Chair(s): Marc Cutilletta, Nancy Cole and Karye Wilhelm
Committee Members: Marc Cutilletta, Nancy Cole, Karye Wilhelm, Christine Kennedy, Noelle Riccardella, Jean Bushong, Ellen Gysin, Cindy Hayes, Carrie Loeffler, Alexandra Hoy, Ronda Phillips, Tina McKeever, Tricia Schmuki, Molly Ross, Carol Dawson, Dean Prina, Joe McCormack, Molly Ross, Terry Nelson, Denise Seery, Jamie Neuhart, Barrett Miller, Alicia Goranson, Karla Johnson-Grimes
Staff: Karla Johnson-Grimes, Sarah Gulinska, Tricia Schmuki and Nick Brushaber
Sponsors: Denver Magazine, ABC Custom Framing, Sam's #3, Wine Source, Egg & Dart, LTD. and Cimarex Sprint Press, Mercedes Benz of Littleton, Delta Construction, ABC Custom Framing, Pure Vida
Attire: business casual
Board of Directors: Marc Cutilletta, President; Nancy Cole, President-Elect; Jean Bushong, Treasurer; Cindy Bell, Secretary; Additional board members: Noelle Riccardella, Kevin Fonk, Adriene Callahan, Voradel Carey, Cindy Hayes, Ellen Guysin, Alexandra Hoy, Molly Ross, and Terry Nelson
Blacktie Photos by: Danielle Yuthas
Honorary chairperson Mary Caulkins (left), Jamie Harris, Karl Kister, Leanna Harris and honoree Adam Lerner
On Monday, October 18th local artists, designers and philantropists got a sneak preview of the highly-coveted artwork featured at ArtReach Denver's 2010 signature Dine & D'Art event. The evening was a fashionable kick off that included hors d'oeuvres, wine sampling and an opportunity to purchase presale tickets to the event. Dine & D'art offers tickets for $400 per couple for not only a lively social event and dinner, but also, to take home an original piece of art that evening.
The evening benefits the art programs offered through ArtReach. Their mission is to "change lives through the arts by providing access to arts and clultural experiences for underserved and at-risk people of all ages." ArtReach and their supporting organizations and donors strive to take down barriers so that everyone in the
ArtReach reaches more than 60,000 people annually through its programs. The Community Tickets program annually distributes over $1,000,0000 arts and cultural event tickets to 50,000 at-risk and underserved individuals and families. The programs reaches populations through 170 members (nonprofit
and schools), and is a community outreach arm for more than 100 local cultural, historic and scientific organizations that donate tickets for distribution to populations they don't often reach. The Arts Benefiting
Kids program brings multi-disciplinary arts learning to workshops, performances and tours and transportation to local museums and cultural centers. The program is provided through partnerships with more than 75 cultural performance organizations, professional artists, and museums that present, instruct or provide tours for the program. ArtReach contracts with professional teaching artists/performers to bring kids meaningful and quality art experiences, and a strong commitments to each participant. The
Arts Express program provides individuals and families with free and safe transportation to events.


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Science museum which is ideal for kids
CosmoCaixa is Barcelona's science museum – and, actually, it used to be known as that until 2004. The museum has exhibitions focused on nature, science, the environment, and space, including its very own planetarium.
It's generally a huge hit with kids, as they've installed a large amount of touch and play displays that make learning interactive. A major highlight of the museum is the "Flooded Forest" (Bosc Inundat) exhibition, a 1000 m2 reproduction of a slice of the Amazon jungle.
Located at the foot of Tibidabo, above the Gracia district, CosmoCaixa is a great attraction to combine with a visit up to the top of the mountain and its famous theme park with views over the whole city.
Also nearby is Gaudi's Torres Bellesguard, one of the architect's lesser known works that is well worth a visit.


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This is a reproduction of the classic text with a new introduction by the author. The Hite Report, first published in 1976, was a sexual revolution in six hundred pages. To answer sensitive questions dealing with the most intimate details of women's sexuality, Hite's innovation was simple: she asked women—a lot of them—everything. And published the results.
One hundred thousand women, ages fourteen to seventy-eight, were asked what they do and don't like about sex; how an orgasm really feels, with and without intercourse; how it feels not to have an orgasm during sex; the importance of clitoral stimulation and masturbation; and to name the greatest pleasures and frustrations of their sexual lives, among many other questions.
The Hite Report declares that orgasm is easy and strong for women, given the right stimulation; that most women have orgasm most easily during masturbation or clitoral stimulation by hand; that sex as we define it is a cultural institution, not a biological one; and that attitudes must change to include the stimulation women desire.
Books That Shook the World: A November Promotion in Partnership with Indie Bookstores
In the age of online retailers and large corporate bookstores, independent booksellers can find themselves struggling to keep up. That's why Seven Stories Press is partnering with indie bookstores for a series of new promotions to encourage readers to buy our books in ways that benefit both booksellers and publishers. The collaboration began in August, with Seven Stories offering indie bookstores a unique discount on a collection of seven themed titles. The first two collections were "For Human Rights, Against War" and "Women in Translation." The same collections were also featured on the Seven Stories website.
To go with the featured collections, Seven Stories is holding a book display contest, in which indie booksellers compete to construct the best display showcasing the featured titles. Each winner is selected by the New Atlantic Independent Booksellers Association (NAIBA) and awarded $300. The wonderful winner from our first display, Curious Iguana in Frederick, MD, is featured in the photo above.
This initiative sprang from the question of how independent publishers can leverage their web presence in a way that also benefits independent booksellers. Eileen Dengler, the executive director of NAIBA, and Todd Dickinson, NAIBA's president and the co-owner of his own indie bookstore, both believe that Seven Stories's promotional indie partnership is a crucial first step to addressing this question.
Dan Simon, the founder of Seven Stories Press, said the idea for the promotion and contest materialized through conversations with Dengler and Dickinson about ways that publishers can support indies through their approaches to online sales. Dickinson said that of all the publishers NAIBA spoke with about possible partnership, Seven Stories "came back the strongest" and "were the most interested in developing some sort of pilot program" to support indies. Simon acknowledges that the promotional program may adapt over time, but he, Dickinson, and Dengler are confident that the collaboration will have a positive impact on indie booksellers.
From November 15th to November 22nd, seven "Books that Shook the World" will be featured on the Seven Stories website with a special offer: buy three of these books, and receive a fourth free. Just email firstname.lastname@example.com with your first and last name, and the book you would like sent for free. We'll verify that you bought three books already, and then get your fourth one in the mail!
This collection includes The Hite Report, Operation Massacre, Profit Over People, Z, The Man with the Golden Arm, Human Rights Watch's World Report 2018, and Nuestros Cuerpos, Nuestras Vidas. Whether conducting in-depth research on little-explored topics, chronicling individuals' journeys to expose injustices, or turning a spotlight on the issues facing overlooked communities, these books are united by a shared dedication to exposing important truths about the world—and they're not afraid to shake up the status quo in the process.
Any book purchased through the Seven Stories website comes with a free e-book version, and anyone purchasing one of the titles from an independent bookseller can also get a free e-book by emailing a photo of their receipt to firstname.lastname@example.com. For booksellers competing in the November book display contest, submit a picture of the display to email@example.com by 12/3/2018. This promotion is a great opportunity to discover your next favorite book, and to support the many indie booksellers committed to supplying us all with great works of literature.


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Skin allergy is a disease that has many negative consequences. This not only happens in the human body but also in many animals like dog, cat & fe
w other animals also. We generally adopt cat & dog in our home. Thus we care about dog foods.
Choosing best dog food is a hard task for many people. Because feeding allergy food to your dog will make your dog sick & cause serious skin disease. Your pet dog will Scratch whole day restless if it's affected with skin allergy. To avoid this kind of hassle you can provide allergy-free food.
5 Best Dog Food For English/French Bulldogs
It is very crucial to take care of your dog's sensitive stomach and skin. In this handly post, we will cover some best dog food for English & french bulldogs that has skin allergies.
#01 CANIDAE Life Stages Dry Dog Food for Puppies, Adults & Seniors
This food suits for all ages from puppy to adult and senior dogs. This food has all the required minerals and vitamins for all breeds and sizes. You never need to arrange different foods for the dog in your family.
This is a natural chicken meal with good quality protein. To give the dogan excellent taste, the manufacturer provides sage, papaya, peas and wholesome brown rice. You will never get any ingredients like wheat, soy or corn, hormones, artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives. Here the mealtimes are really easy.
CANIDAE Life Stages Dry Dog Food is really helpful for healthy digestion and good for the healthy immune system. It also ensures beautiful skin and coat for your dogs. This food is made with four extraordinary meat meals to provide great nutrition and these are fish, chicken, lamb, and turkey. There is 24% protein in this food.
Why We Like This:
#02 Purina Pro Plan Focus Dry Dog Food
It is very crucial to take care of your dog's sensitive stomach and skin. Purina Pro Plan Focus Dry Dog Food helps you to do this. It is so much important to know which dog food will make your dog healthy and happy. Purina Pro Plan Focus ensures this with a highly digestible method.
This food is made with barley, canola meal, salmon, vitamin B-12 supplement, egg, natural fiber, and oat meal with fish oil. This food helps to develop the dog's immune system. Vitamin A and omega-6 fatty acid are included here to give a healthier skin and coat.
Things We Like Most
If your dog has very sensitive skin, then this would be the best food for him. Dogs have various sizes and they need different food plans. You can get all in this food for any dog. If your dog is less active and over weighted, this food is for him. It will make him healthy and stronger.
Purina Pro Plan is a known animal food selling company.They have advanced nutrition formula with extensive research by veterinarians, behaviorists, and nutritionists. Based on thousand plus customer review you can trust them completely. "Purina Pro Plan Focus Dry Dog Food" is a best selling dog food item among their animal foods.
There is no corn, soy or any type of wheat. You will find no artificial colors. Here the strong antioxidants support immune system health.
#03 NUTRO Adult Dry Dog Food
This food provides a complete and highly balanced meal for your pet dog. It gives sufficient minerals, vitamins, and other ingredients. It promotes healthy digestion and that's why made with New Zealand venison meal. As it is very tasty, your dog will love it. There is no wheat and corn in it.
The main ingredient is chicken. Also, you will find rice flour and rice. Protein level is nearly 22% and it makes NUTRO Adult Dry Dog Food as one of the lowest protein foods on the market. They add sunflower oil and it helps to give a healthier skin and coat for your dog. If your dog is lazy or overweight, it will certainly help him.
Some of the ingredients of this dog food are Vitamin C, Ground rice, sunflower oil, and vitamin B12, Taurine, Vitamin D3 and Vitamin B6.
Things We Like Most
This is a product on Nutro which is among the best animal food selling company. They are very careful about their product quality. So you can trust on their product.
#04 Hill's Science Diet Adult Sensitive Stomach & Skin Dry Dog Food
This dog food is popular for its easy digestion system, complete balanced nutrition. There is no artificial preservative, flavors and colors. They offer 100% satisfaction guarantee. Otherwise, they will back the money. So you will get high-quality dog food.
The antioxidants in this food are clinically proven. The vitamin E in this food gives your dog a better healthy skin and also a glossy coat. If your dog's coat is dull and dry, you have to use this. It gradually makes the coat glossy.
Things We Like Most
Some of the ingredients are broccoli, carrots, and brewer's rice, lactic acid, oat fiber, Vitamin E and much more. The company uses salmon protein, real chicken and lamb and these are high-quality ingredients in this food. They included video guide for their customer.Thus most of the customers left a positive review on their product page.
This is only for those dogs that are in the age from 1 to 6 years. If your dog has itching problem, then this dog food is for him. It stops the itching. It completely eliminates the skin allergies for adult dogs and makes the skin healthier than before.
#05 Premium Edge Dry Food for Adult Dog
If you are searching best dog food for your adult dog, then this popular dog food will ensure hearth health of your dog. Basically made with lamb meal, whole grain rice, vitamin B12 supplements, taurine, cranberry powder, peas and carrots. All important nutrient food element added to make a healthy food.
Made in the US and this is affordable high-quality dog food. If your dog has severe allergies, this food will easily remove the allergy. It significantly improves the coat and makes the skin healthier. Thus we can say,this is not only a food but also a medicine that removes allergies.
Things We Like Most
This dog food will worth your money because of its premium facilities.With this dog food, your dog will feel good and the food is really tasty. It is best applicable for the adult dogs who have extremely sensitive stomach and skin.
Skin Allergies In English and French Bulldogs
Skin allergies are common problems to both English bulldogs and french bulldogs. It starts from itching or foot licking. When your bulldog is badly suffering from skin allergies then you'll find it chewing his leg or rubbing face too. In worst case it can suffer ear infections also.
These allergic problems might be caused by food. In most of the cases there is a direct relation between foods and skin allergy.
The Relation Between Digestive and Skin Problems in Bulldogs
Sensitivity to certain food can cause your English / french bulldog's allergic problems. Generally it starts with building yeast in digestive system. High grain foods and extra carbohydrate can cause the extra growth of bacteria in the stomach. In certain environment yeast can grow crazily and affect immune system.
When the immune system is weak then itching can cause skin infections. Other types of bacteria that infects skins can grow rapidly. As a result, your English bulldog will suffer from skin infections for a long time, even it can suffer from ear infections too. All these allergic problems started from high grain food.
The Symptoms of Skin Allergies By Food in French and English Bulldogs
Both french bulldogs and English bulldogs will chew leg, skins, rub face when they are suffering from food allergy. If you see your English bulldog is itching and chewing excessively for a long time you be sure that it's food is not perfect.
Bulldogs suffering from a food allergy for a long time may have skin infection in ear too.
So the summarized symptoms are:
- Face rubbing
- Chewing leg, ear, skins
- Digestive problem
- Skin infections
Final Words
To avoid skin disease, we should keep our pet neat & clean always. Also, allergy free food assists us a lot to avoid skin disease, especially skin allergy. Above mentioned dog food will assist you to avoid skin disease & your pet will be stronger & healthier also.


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Legends of Tomorrow: Official Description for "Pilot, Part 1"
ImagesLegends of Tomorrow NewsSpoilers December 31, 2015 Craig Byrne 0
The CW has released an official description for "Pilot, Part 1," the December 21 first episode of DC's Legends of Tomorrow.
You can find that below.
SERIES PREMIERE — In the year 2166, the immortal villain Vandal Savage (Casper Crump) is on the verge of his final victory – total chaos and the utter destruction of humanity. As the world crumbles, the Time Master Rip Hunter (Arthur Darvill) takes matters into his own hands; he travels 150 years into the past to assemble a carefully selected team of heroes and rogues to stop him. Hunter has chosen what seems like an ill-matched group: billionaire inventor Ray Palmer (Brandon Routh), who has created an exo-suit with the power to shrink him to miniscule size, as the Atom; Sara Lance (Caity Lotz), the White Canary, a trained assassin; Professor Martin Stein (Victor Garber) and Jefferson "Jax" Jackson (Franz Drameh), who together form the meta-human Firestorm; Leonard Snart (Wentworth Miller), known as Captain Cold, and his partner Mick Rory (Dominic Purcell), AKA Heat Wave, a pair of career criminals; and Kendra Saunders (Ciara Renée) and Carter Hall (Falk Hentschel) AKA Hawkgirl and Hawkman. Together this unlikely group will attempt to stop one of the most formidable villains of all time, while they must learn how to not only be a team, but heroes as well. Glen Winter directed the episode written by Marc Guggenheim & Phil Klemmer and Greg Berlanti & Andrew Kreisberg (#101). Original airdate 1/21/2016.
If you missed them before, you can find some preview images here:
DC's Legends of Tomorrow
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Leukemia Channel
Related Channels
Leukeran Warnings and Precautions
Before starting treatment with Leukeran, it is important to discuss your medical history with your healthcare provider. For example, people with a history of seizures, a head injury, or anemia may have an increased risk for serious problems with Leukeran. Safety precautions with this drug also include warnings of life-threatening skin reactions and problems associated with using it during pregnancy.
What Should I Tell My Healthcare Provider?You should talk with your healthcare provider prior to taking Leukeran® (chlorambucil) if you have:
- Liver disease, such as hepatitis, cirrhosis, or liver failure
- Kidney disease, such as kidney failure (renal failure)
- Received radiation treatment
- Received other chemotherapy treatment
- Low white blood cells
- Low platelets or anemia
- A history of seizures
- Ever had a head injury
- An infection or get infections easily
- Any allergies, including to foods, dyes, or preservatives.
Also, let your healthcare provider know if you are:
- Pregnant or thinking of becoming pregnant
- Breastfeeding.
You should also tell your healthcare provider about all other medications you are taking, including prescription and nonprescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements.
Specific Precautions and Warnings With LeukeranSome warnings and precautions to be aware of prior to taking this medication include the following:
- Leukeran can increase your risk for developing other cancers, including leukemia, in the future. People who take large doses or use the medication for extended periods of time likely have a higher risk. You and your healthcare provider should weigh the benefits of Leukeran treatment with the risk for future cancers.
- Leukeran can cause sterility (complete infertility) in both men and women. This side effect may be irreversible.
- There have been reports of serious skin rashes, including life-threatening rashes known as Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS) and toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN), occurring in people taking this medicine. If you notice any skin rash while taking this medication, contact your healthcare provider right away.
- Like other chemotherapy medicines, Leukeran can cause life-threatening bone marrow suppression. As a result, your bone marrow may not produce necessary blood cells, which could cause the following problems:
- Anemia due to low red blood cells
- Increased susceptibility for infection due to low white blood cells (see Chemotherapy and Infections)
- Increased risk for bleeding due to low platelets (see Blood Clotting Problems and Chemotherapy).
Your healthcare provider will monitor your blood cell counts regularly during treatment, and may decrease your dosage if your blood cell counts drop too low.
- Some people who take this medicine may have an increased risk for seizures. This includes children and people receiving high intermittent doses. Your risk may be further increased if you have a history of seizures or a head injury.
- Leukeran may react with a few other medications (see Leukeran Drug Interactions).
- Leukeran is a pregnancy Category D medication, which means it may harm an unborn child if taken during pregnancy (see Leukeran and Pregnancy).
- It is unknown whether Leukeran passes through breast milk. Therefore, if you are breastfeeding or plan to start, discuss this with your healthcare provider prior to taking the drug (see Leukeran and Breastfeeding).
Leukeran Chemotherapy Information
Written by/reviewed by: Susan Lakey, PharmD, MPH, BCPP
Last reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD


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Snap chat suggested that I personalise my emoji so I went along with…just to see how "I" would end up looking like and lol….
I gotta say,I kinda see some resembleness yo!
The coolest part is that I get to change my outfits however + whenever I please!Hahaha-So funny and heartwarming…
I'm new to snapchat and all, so any tips friends?


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Like everyone, I am obsessed with juices and smoothies at the moment.
Every morning after yoga we make one for Breakfast. It's so quick and easy to throw something together when you're in a rush and even better it's so good for you because it's packed full of nutrients.
This recipe is one of my favourites and it's a classic, some might say boring but why does that have to mean it's bad? Why overcomplicate something that works perfectly well. It's simple it's tasty and being Potassium deficient the combination of avocado and banana is a real life saver.
What you'll need –
– banana
– avocado
– frozen berries (we use blueberries)
– dollop of Greek yoghurt
– decent glug of apple juice
then blend all together. And Voila.
What's more this is the perfect recovery smoothie with it's anti- inflammatory qualities. Just what you need to get all your vitamins and minerals in one easy go without the heavy meal. Perfect for Breakfast after exercise this will keep you going all morning.
What do you think? Do you prefer this one or our Citrus and Coconut Smoothie?


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Griffith REVIEW invites you to an evening of celebration as they launch Griffith Review 34: The Annual Fiction Edition, at Readings Carlton.
Featuring authors Chris Womersley, Josephine Rowe, Tony Birch, Georgia Blain, Craig Cliff, Melissa Lucashenko and Benjamin Law plus local emerging authors Favel Parrett, Nicolas Low, Amy Espeseth and Romy Ash, Griffith REVIEW 34: The Annual Fiction Edition will spirit you away on a journey into an archipelago of exclusivity and escape.
The launch includes the presentation of awards to the winners of the 2011 Griffith REVIEW Emerging Writers' Prize.
This is a free event, but please register your details at:
Readings Carlton
309 Lygon Street


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text: I'm switching gears again today. The New York Yankees clinched a wild card last night, and are one win away, or one Houston loss away from clinching home field for the play-in game. I'm as big a Yankees fan as there is but last night's celebration was way over the top. They have not accomplished anything worth breaking out the champagne. All they really did was clinch the right to play one more game. To me they are still a play-in game victory away from truly making the post-season. It is also worth noting that last night was the Yankees 10,000th all-time victory as a franchise.


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1. I'm starting this column one day early so I can let you know about all the fun Halloween events happening statewide on actual Halloween. There's of course loads of haunted hayrides and houses, and trick or treating happens in lots of neighborhoods. For grownups, you can enjoy things like Scary-oke at the Fiddlehead Restaurant in Bangor, their annual fundraiser for United Way that's just $10 for delicious snacks and karaoke; there's also a costume party at the Sea Dog Brewing Company, and another costume party at Tantrum, and yet another costume party at Ipanema with rockabilly rockers the Crown Vics, and two shows at the Penobscot Theatre: "The Witches" at 4 p.m. and "The Woman in Black" at 7 p.m. Up at the Center Theatre in Dover-Foxcroft, there's a proper showing of "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" set for 10 p.m., costumes encouraged; and on the Midcoast, you can see the Everyman Repertory Theatre's production of "Dracula" set for 7:30 p.m. at the Rockport Opera House. Finally, in Portland, there's the costume-centric "Tron of the Dead" event set for 8 p.m. at Port City Music Hall featuring DJ Jon and The Other Bones, while at Empire there's an epic night of music featuring Dean Ford playing the music of Prince and Madonna, dubbed "Purple Brainz," set for 9:30 p.m (pictured above). Oh, and the annual Space Gallery Halloween party is set for 8 p.m., featuring local musicians dressed up as other bands; this year it's Black Flag, Guided By Voices and Ministry. Oh, and there's a masquerade ball featuring gypsy band The Burners and belly dancers, set for 8 p.m. at One Longfellow Square. Whew!
2. Moving onto the actual weekend, wouldn't you know it, there's even more Halloween events planned! In Bangor, Paddy Murphy's hosts their H-Ween festivities the day after the big day on Friday, with a costume party and a show from local rockers Chamberlain and Temperature of the Sun. Also on Friday, the Bill Barnes Trio is at Nocturnem Drafthaus, Mark Miller is set for the Big Easy, the Blazing Apostles rock at Ipanema, and Lights in Phoenix are the house band at the Phoenix Pub. Saturday, there's Magnetic North at Nocturnem, there's Carl Mazzarelli at the Big Easy, there's the 220s at Ipanema, Paddy Murphy's hosts the Blast Addicts; out in Winterport, there's Mes Amis jazz at 4Points BBQ & Blues, and up in Old Town, there's the Eric Green Party set for Kingman's. Wrap it up with Jake Irish at 4Points on Sunday.
3. Friday night in Portland there's a double bill at Empire that starts with the first-ever Dispatch Magazine Poetry Slam, set for 6 p.m.; that's followed by Primo Cubano at 9 p.m. Zappa Plays Zappa takes over the State Theatre, and Bronze Radio Return with guest Spencer Albee is at Port City Music Hall, and there's a big goth ball and dance party at Asylum. Saturday, there's a really neat event at Space Gallery featuring a screening of vintage films about Maine and accompanying score written by local musician Jeff Beam; show starts at 7:30 p.m. Empire hosts some serious rock with Arcane Lore, El Malo and the Monsters, the Yonder Mountain String Band is at the State Theatre, and at Asylum, Boston band Air Traffic Controller (pictured above) plays with rockers When Particles Collide and Rural Ghosts. Wrap it up Sunday with Bullet For My Valentine, Black Veil Brides and others at the State Theatre.
4. It's also First Friday Art Walk night in Portland, which brings with it an array of unique things to see and experience. This month, check out some lovely exhibits including a retrospective of 40 years of work at The Salt Institute; two exhibits at the Space Gallery including an installation by NYC artist Brent Birnbaum and a series of works by Portland artists about rising water levels due to climate change; a large group show of works about Maine by Maine artists at the Constellation Art Gallery on Congress Street; and, of course, the wonderful Portland Museum of Art biennial, still on display at the PMA. And street performers, art and craft sales, and lots of tiny cups of wine. Naturally.
5. Friday also kicks off Portland Beer Week – ten days, actually, of beer, beer, beer. Friday has got events like Pumpkin-Palooza, with ten pumpkin beers on tap at the Thirsty Pig; a Maine Beer Company tap takeover at Novare Res; an Oxbow and Allagash takeover at Nosh; and a Geary's takeover at the Great Lost Bear. This all leads up to Saturday's even, the 20th annual Maine Brewer's Festival, set for 1-5 p.m. and 6-10 p.m. at the Portland Expo. Sessions are $41 each, and whoa, there's 15 all-Maine breweries represented, from favorites like Allagash and Shipyard to upstarts like Funky Bow and sleeper hits like Rising Tide. Beer geeks, unite! There are even more events beyond just this weekend; visit the Portland Beer Week website for a full schedule.


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|Benson Margulies <bimargul...@gmail.com>
|Re: wordnet
|Thu, 18 Jun 2009 18:22:28 GMT
Other people I've spoken to agree with Ted: adding Wordnet pretty reliably makes things worse. On Thu, Jun 18, 2009 at 2:12 PM, Ted Dunning<email@example.com> wrote: > One of the take-aways of all of this work is that it is difficult to get > large amounts of performance lift from resources built for purposes > different than what you are doing. > > Wordnet was not built to specifically help with search or with data mining. > It was built because people wanted to explore whether a machine readable > dictionary like data source would help. Occasionally it does, but more > often it does not. The observation that links are not weighted is one > problem that is commonly encountered, but that only raises the question of > how to weight links. That question has no single answer. > > On Thu, Jun 18, 2009 at 8:54 AM, Stephen Green <firstname.lastname@example.com>wrote: > >> Seriously, though, there's been a lot of work on this, and you should get >> some good ideas from some of the work that was done in this century :-) >> Man, I'm getting old. > > > > > -- > Ted Dunning, CTO > DeepDyve >
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Mutilation Guard is a Legendary Gem in Diablo III, added in Patch 2.2.0. It can only be socketed into Amulets and Rings, and drops from Greater Rift Guardians. This gem was originally Season Three-exclusive, but since this season ended, it drops for normal characters as well.
This gem reduces all unsaved damage taken in melee. This works regardless of Elemental Damage type, and melee damage does include the ground-based attacks such as most monster affixes. Upgrading increases the damage reduction, up to 60%. It stacks with the respective stat of the character, but is subject to diminishing returns.
At rank 25, it also allows the character move freely through enemies and Waller-affix barriers while at 50% Life or lower. The effect is identical to that of Illusory Boots and Bottomless Potion of Kulle-Aid.
As damage reduction has a cap (and in addition stacks with the respective stat), this is one of the few gems that actually has a ranking limit, effectively becoming fully upgraded after reaching rank 100. It is also one of the five gems (the others being Invigorating Gemstone, Molten Wildebeest's Gizzard, Moratorium and Esoteric Alteration) that offer defensive, rather than offensive, bonuses.
Mutilation Guard
Legendary Gem
- Gain 10% melee damage reduction.
- Upgrade: +0.5% additional melee damage reduction per Rank.
- While below 50% Life, you may move through enemies unhindered (Requires Rank 25)
Chau Thanh of Guozhi designed a gem which would transport the pain and suffering of a physical attack to an undisclosed location. When asked about the ultimate destination of this damage, she would simply smile and mutter "Well deserved. Well deserved."


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Archive for the 'nature and nurture' Tag
Political views may have innate tendencies
Filed under: politics, science, social sciences | Tags: conservatism, John Hibbing, liberalism, nature, nature and nurture, nature vs. nurture, nurture, political beliefs, political science, psychology, social science, University of Nebraska at Lincoln
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Social scientists at the University of Nebraska at Lincoln have noted a correlation between the positions a person adopts on certain political issues and how he or she responds to frightening stimuli. They determined the later by measuring the subjects' galvanic skin response (sweating) when viewing distressing images and also be observing their response to a sudden, loud noise. People who were more prone to being startled were more likely to adopt conservative positions on "hot button" social issues, like same-sex marriage, gun control, abortion, and the Iraq war.
The finding suggests that people who are particularly sensitive to signals of visual or auditory threats also tend to adopt a more defensive stance on political issues, such as immigration, gun control, defense spending and patriotism. People who are less sensitive to potential threats, by contrast, seem predisposed to hold more liberal positions on those issues.
[R]esearchers stressed that physiology is only one factor in how people form their political views — and far from the most important factor. Startle responses, moreover, cannot be used to predict the political views of any one individual — there are many liberals who startle easily and many conservatives who do not. What the study did find is that, across groups of people, there seems to be an association between sensitivity to physical threats and sensitivity to threats affecting social groups and social order.
Researchers also stress that this cannot be used to judge any individual's political beliefs. "We are not saying if you sneak up on someone and say 'Boo!' and see how hard they blink, that tells you what their political beliefs are," said John Hibbing, one of the involved political scientists.
We all like to think we're completely objective and not influenced by external factors, only by the merits of the issues. However, it's likely that we are all manipulated by outside forces and innate tendencies far more than we'd like to admit. Well, other people, at any rate—surely not the author or readers of this blog! The study was published in the journal Science.


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Life is a series of events that sometimes collude together providing experience a chance to meet opportunity. Growing up an introverted hippie type I was awkward with women, (understatement) and really didn't score that much. No kink for me, the only really "adventurous" girlfriend would occasionally have semi public sex in a car somewhere, but that was about it. Aye though, having vise like grip on me she did teach how to properly appreciate a female body, her mind, and all the soft delightful skin from head to toe, but that's another story.
The last couple of years with Georgia has been a rapturous sexual awakening for me, exploring various kinks or fantasies. enjoying the merriment, avoiding the not so merry. Georgia is a bit more, or was, experienced in exploring her more exhibitionist side, it took me a while to really getting to explore my kinkier side, getting passed the superficial elements of ones body or even sexual congress. I found that my tastes drifted towards the kinkier side, adding elements besides people, or just sex toys. Then trying to find persons who also share your same open minded attitude towards sex and sexual attraction.
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