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Posts Tagged 'Hillary Clinton'
America-Pakistan-India Triangle
Pakistan's ambassador to the United States, who ironically enjoys the reputation of being American ambassador to Pakistan, based in Washington, has recently quipped, "The most hated country in Pakistan is our top trading partner, top aid donor, top weapon supplier and top remittance source".
Significant reason behind this anomaly is the snowballing India-US nexus at the cost of Pakistan. De-hyphenating of India-Pakistan in American strategic calculus has indeed created more problems for America and this region than it intended to resolve. Obsession to sponsor the rise of India as a major player on Asian geopolitical canvas has severely curtailed American leverage over India; Obama dare not pronounce 'K' for Kashmir once again!
Barrack Obama's visit to India had left a negative impact on the whole region which has been reinforced by Hillary's recent rhetoric. By prompting India to bite more than it could chew, America is well on its way to sow the seeds of perpetual destabilization of this region at the expense of China as well as India itself.
While in the past America played effective role to diffuse Pak-India tensions and did not allow the matters to degenerate into tactical showdown, it also winked its eye to allow India maintain strategic pressures through military deployments, diplomatic manoeuvres and resource squeezing.
Pakistan and America differ considerably on issues of vital interest to Pakistan; nuclear policy, energy acquisition from Iran and China, end game in Afghanistan, Kashmir conflict etc are some major areas of divergence. Most of these issues are intricately liked to India. Hence a Pakistan-India-America triangle has emerged; a sort of re-hyphenation in a crude form.
America retains a cunning balancing leverage between India and Pakistan; and uses the pressure points aptly to make Pakistan and India do American bidding.
Recently the US lawmakers have rejected the bill regarding stoppage of aid to Pakistan but have agreed to attach strings. Public opinion is gaining strength that stringed aid may be refused and to make up for the loss, Pakistan should proportionately enhance the transit fee on American supply containers and also impose transit fee on aircraft destined for Afghan war zone through Pakistan.
America frequently partners Indian effort in maintaining a high pitched tirade against Pakistan's armed force and the ISI; this has scaled new heights since the cowardly Abbottabad attack. All guns are being directed against Pakistan. Political leadership is being spared of any wrong doing with a clear objective of creating a wedge between the political and military echelons of national leadership.
Timed with Hillary's recent visit, Americans took a well calculated step to appease India by arresting Kashmiri American Council President, Dr Ghulam Nabi Fai. Indian reaction was of joy. Arrest is a setback to the legitimate rights of the people of Kashmir, specially their struggle for self-determination. Pakistani government showed an angry response. Foreign office announced that "A demarche was made to the US embassy in Islamabad to register the concerns, in particular the slander campaign against Pakistan."
To mitigate the defeat in Afghanistan, the US is working overtime to shift the blame for every wrong to Pakistan. To consolidate towards this end, America is all set to involve India in Afghanistan, militarily. While in India, Hillary Clinton sought to reassure India that the United States has no plan to cut and run when it comes to Afghanistan. Indeed Hillary was bluffing,
those familiar with Obama administration's thinking are of the view that White House wants to be able to point to concrete achievements in the country in the run-up to 2012 elections, while wrapping things up in Afghanistan "at any cost".
In the context of terrorism, India needs to understand that militants are well-organised from Somalia to Afghanistan and from Central Asian Republics to the Occupied Kashmir.
International security analysts are already predicting that India is on the brink of becoming a battle ground of these trans-national groups. Outreach of these elements is much broader than Pakistan's logical capacity to handle them; even America is unable to contain them. Pakistan has already proposed setting up of SAARC police for pooling up regional resources for this purpose.
Hillary Clinton played another pressure card by projecting India as the leading power in Asia. This effort was launched to coax India into a proxy role to counterbalance China. Hillary called upon India to become a more assertive leader in Asia, in South-East Asia, the Pacific Rim, in Central Asia and Pacific Ocean.
The fact is that India is having a hard time holding its own in its immediate neighbourhood, as China is expanding its links with Sri Lanka, Myanmar and Nepal. Hence, to expect India to match China in South-East Asia and the Pacific Rim, where China has built-in advantages, is a pipe dream. India will remain cautious while siding with Americans against the Chinese. It needs China's nod to realise its aspiration for a permanent UNSC berth.
Under these settings, the fate of Pak-India foreign minister level talks was correctly pre-judged by the analysts of India and Pakistan. There was unanimity of opinion that parleys would remain at the cosmetic level, routines would be discussed and core issues would be sidestepped. Travel, trade, terrorism etc would be in forefront; water and Kashmir in the background.
Mumbai would be highlighted and 'Samjhota Express' would get a passing mention. Matters have moved the same way. Nevertheless, some functional dialogue process is always better than none.
In an upbeat assessment after their meeting, Indian Foreign Minister said ties were back "on the right track," while Pakistani Foreign Minister spoke of a "new era" of cooperation. Nevertheless, there was little in the way of substantive agreements to back up the general mood of optimism. Joint statement was monotonous, envisaging a general bilateral effort to combat terrorism, increase trade and keep the peace dialogue going.
One must understand that now America is in the driving seat of Pak-India interactions; talks are likely to follow the pattern of 'sound good solve nothing'. After all America has a long experience of sponsoring futile dialogue like process between Palestine and Israel. It remains for India and Pakistan not to get locked into a zero sum game. Both countries need to strengthen their bilateral institutions to absorb the sporadic crises and move on.
U.S. Special Envoy Embarrasses Administration
The Slatest
Frank Wisner, Barack Obama's special envoy to Egypt, "veered wildly off-message" when he spoke to the Munich security conference, notes the Guardian. Wisner, who had just returned from Cairo, advocated for Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak to stay in office and seemed to be arguing that the world owed him that much. "President Mubarak's continued leadership is critical," he said. "It's his opportunity to write his own legacy. He has given 60 years of his life to the service of his country and this is an ideal moment for him to show the way forward." Western officials were confused by Wisner's words, particularly since they came soon after Secretary of State Hillary Clinton endorsed an orderly and slow transition led by Vice President Omar Suleiman. The "whole episode was a reminder of the inherent problems in hiring special envoys from the ranks of retired diplomats who no longer feel constrained by State Department discipline,
US pastor's plans for Quran burning condemned worldwide
The Times of India
PARIS: The planned mass burning of copies of the Quran in the US state of Florida drew worldwide condemnation on Wednesday, with the Vatican saying it would be "an outrageous and grave gesture."
Secretary of state Hillary Clinton, the most senior US official to speak out against the burning scheduled for the anniversary of the September 11 attacks, branded the plan by a little known evangelical church as "disgraceful."
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon said he was "deeply disturbed" by the planned burnings and said they "cannot be condoned by any religion." German Chancellor Angela Merkel said the move was "abhorrent" and "simply wrong."
"If a fundamentalist, envangelical pastor in America wants to burn the Quran on September 11, then I find this simply disrespectful, even abhorrent and simply wrong," Merkel said in a speech.
" Europe… is a place where freedom of belief, of religion, where respect for beliefs and religions, are valuable commodities," Merkel said at an event honouring a Danish cartoonist whose 2005 drawing of the Prophet Mohammed offended many Muslims and sparked protests around the world.
EU foreign affairs chief Catherine Ashton also condemned the planned act, while Arab League chief Amr Mussa dubbed Pastor Terry Jones a "fanatic" and told AFP he was urging Americans to oppose the "destructive approach."
Jones's Dove World Outreach Center in Gainesville, Florida, has vowed to mark Saturday's ninth anniversary of the September 11 attacks by burning Qurans as they remember almost 3,000 people killed by al-Qaida hijackers.
The Vatican's Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue said in a statement: "Each religion, with its respective sacred books, places of worship and symbols, has the right to respect and protection".
The Vatican council said "deplorable acts of violence" like those in New York and Washington could not be counteracted by such acts.
"Each religious leader and believer is also called to renew the firm condemnation of all forms of violence, in particular those committed in the name of religion."
The White House added its voice to warnings that the move could trigger outrage around the Islamic world and endanger the lives of US soldiers.
"It puts our troops in harm's way. And obviously any type of activity like that puts our troops in harm's way would be a concern to this administration," White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said on Tuesday.
He was reiterating comments by top US and NATO commander in Afghanistan, General David Petraeus, who warned burning the holy book of Islam would provide propaganda for insurgents.
The United Nations' top envoy for Afghanistan, Staffan de Mistura, earlier said it would harm his staff if "such an abhorrent act were to be implemented, it would only contribute to fuelling the arguments of those who are indeed against peace and reconciliation in Afghanistan."
"It could also put in jeopardy the efforts of so many Afghans and foreigners who are trying to assist Afghanistan to find its own way to peace and stability within the framework of its own culture, traditions and indeed religion."
The Agency Coordinating Body for Afghan Relief, an umbrella group representing aid groups in Afghanistan, said ts members in the war-wracked country could be killed if Jones goes ahead with his "irresponsible" plan.
Farhana Khera, executive director of Muslim Advocates, who met with Attorney General Eric Holder on Tuesday said the top US law enforcement official described as "idiotic and dangerous" the Florida church's plan.
Police reportedly cannot intervene until Jones's followers actually light the 200 Qurans.
A senior Muslim Brotherhood official, Essam al-Erian, said in Cairo that the Florida ceremony would be a "barbaric act reminiscent of the Inquisition" and would "increase hatred towards the United States in the Muslim world."
A top official of Cairo's Al-Azhar university, which US President Barack Obama referred to as a "beacon of learning" in an appeal for reconciliation with Muslims, warned that the plan risked destroying ties.
"If the government fails to stop this, this will be the latest manifestation of religious terrorism, and it would ruin America's relations with the Muslim world," said Sheikh Abdel Muti al-Bayyumi, who sits on the Sunni Muslim seat of learning's highest council, the Islamic Research Academy.
Lebanese President Michel Sleiman said the burning of the Quran contradicted Christian teachings.
In Gaza, Sami Abu Zuhri, a spokesman for the Islamist Hamas movement, called on the US administration in a statement "to stop this crime before it takes place."
Ayatollah Lotfollah Safi Golpaygani, a senior religious expert from Iran's holy city of Qom, said in a statement carried by Iranian media: "The decision to insult this sacred book, is an insult to all (religious) sanctities especially prophets Abraham, Moses, Jesus and Virgin Mary.
Jordan's powerful Islamist opposition also condemned the plans as "a declaration of war."
The German church founded by Jones denounced the plans as "shocking."
"We want to distance ourselves fully from this plan and from Jones," said Stephan Baar from the "Christian Community of Cologne" in western Germany.
US expects India to implement Iran sanctions
WASHINGTON: The United States has expressed confidence that India would implement the tough new United Nations Security Council imposed sanctions against Iran for its alleged clandestine nuclear weapons programme.
"I think India's record on implementation of previous Security Council resolutions has been an admirable one," US Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs William Burns told reporters on Thursday.
"And I do expect that India, as its leadership has made clear publicly, will follow through and implement the new resolution," he said when asked if India and the US were on the same page on sanctions against Iran.
India, he noted, has voted three times in the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Board of Governors to hold Iran accountable for its failure to meet its international obligations.
"Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has also reinforced on a number of occasions the fact that India shares international concerns about a nuclear-armed Iran and the obvious negative consequences that would have for a part of the world that's very important to both of us, as well as to the global economy," Burns said.
Manmohan Singh has time and again underlined India's traditional ties with Iran and voiced opposition to sanctions that, in New Delhi's view, end up hurting the common people.
While India believes that a nuclear powered Iran is not in the interests of regional stability, it has consistently advocated dialogue and diplomacy to resolve the issue of the Iranian nuclear programme and supported Tehran's right to peaceful uses of nuclear energy within the purview of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).
New sanctions target Iran's powerful Revolutionary Guard and include freezing the assets of 40 additional companies and organizations — 15 linked to the guards, 22 involved in nuclear or ballistic missile activities and three linked to the Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines.
The sanctions also bar Iran from pursuing "any activity related to ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons," investing in nuclear-related activities like uranium mining, and buying some categories of heavy weapons, including attack helicopters and missiles.
The Iran issue figured during the recently concluded India-US Strategic Dialogue between team led by External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna and US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
Mulla Omar arrested in Pakistan?
WASHINGTON: Reports of Taliban supreme leader Mulla Omar being captured in Pakistan raged through Washington on Tuesday, a day after US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton accused some Pakistani officials of sheltering Osama bin Laden and the Taliban leadership, the Times of India reported.
The Obama administration did not respond to the reports, and independent sources said they had not been able to confirm the information. Reports of Mulla Omar's capture or custody first surfaced on the popular blog Brietbart, where an analyst, who formerly worked with the Department of Homeland Security, claimed that through "key intelligence sources in Afghanistan and Pakistan he had just learned that Mulla Omar has been taken into custody.
At the end of March, US Military Intelligence was informed by US operatives working in the Af/Pak theater on behalf of the D.O.D. that Omar had been detained by Pakistani authorities. One would assume that this would be passed up the chain and that the US Secretary of Defence would have been alerted immediately. From what I am hearing, that may not have been the case,î the analyst, Brad Thor, said.
When this explosive information was quietly confirmed to United States intelligence ten days ago by Pakistani authorities, it appeared to take the Defence Department by surprise. No one, though, is going to be surprised more than Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. It seems even with confirmation from the Pakistanis themselves, she was never brought up to speed,î he added, referring to Clintonís remark on CBS 60 minutes on Sunday that some officials in Pakistan were sheltering Osama bin Laden and Mulla Omar.
Pakistan: A firmer footing
By Farhan Bokhari and James Lamont
Yusuf Raza Gilani, Pakistan's prime minister, likes to receive visitors in the library of the prime ministerial mansion in Islamabad, its bookshelves decorated with ceremonial swords, daggers and other armorial objects. On the leonine crest of one small shield, a gift from Singapore's Nanyang Technological University, is the motto: "Ponder the improbable".
Charm offensive: the Pakistani army in South Waziristan, close to the Afghan border. Successful campaigns against militants here and in the Swat valley have won Islamabad praise from the US
The words are apt for Mr Gilani, and for the country's leadership as a whole. The civilian government led by him and President Asif Ali Zardari has defied the odds by staying in power and taking on militant Taliban groups that have struck the country's main cities and even the army's high command in Rawalpindi. Pakistanis have held their breath for the past two years, awaiting a regime change orchestrated by General Ashfaq Pervez Kiyani, the powerful army chief. In a country blighted by military rule for most of its 63 years, such a move would not be unprecedented.
However, Gen Kiyani has opted to work with the political leadership rather than against it. Indeed, the Pakistan People's party administration is on course to become the first democratically elected government to serve a full term for three decades. It has galvanised the nation for a fight against militants. Most recently, Islamabad has basked in the embrace of Washington as both countries tried to rebuild a troubled partnership.
The combination of these three developments puts Pakistan in one of its strongest positions for two decades. The US is left with few choices but to back the country as it seeks to win the war in Afghanistan. But to become a credible and stable American ally for the long haul, Pakistan has to reform its economy, scale back the influence of the army and improve its relationship with India, its mighty southern neighbour. Gen Kiyani, a shrewd tactician, appears to be the man on whom this depends.
Not long ago, civilian rule looked shaky. There was speculation about "Minus One", a code in Islamabad political circles for the removal of Mr Zardari, husband of slain opposition leader and former premier Benazir Bhutto. A government stand-off with the judiciary and the opposition, which caused protests in Lahore, the second largest city, almost invited the army to step in to restore order in March last year. In addition, the Taliban came within 90km of Islamabad after capturing the Swat valley, a tourist destination.
The civilian administration looks more assured today but internal security concerns, and international engagement over Afghanistan and with India, have propelled Gen Kiyani to its side.
Although once considered a weak understudy for the president, Mr Gilani is now viewed by the military as the more popular politician and has won its support for styling himself a leader of a country on a "war footing". His ruling party is now poised to reverse vestiges of military rule by shifting powers from the presidency to the premiership, and return Pakistan to the founding vision of a parliamentary democracy.
"We have very ably completed two years with consensus in parliament," says Mr Gilani. "The biggest success is that we have gathered the whole nation together on one platform for a fight against terrorism and that is the biggest victory ever."
Bigger battles lie ahead. For the US, Pakistan's neighbours and many Pakistanis, one of the most formidable challenges is reforming the pervasive security structure, which controls everything from cornflake factories to nuclear missiles. They want a decisive break with militant organisations that continue to sow discord in India, Afghanistan and Pakistan, and pose an increasingly global threat.
Many inside and outside Pakistan continue to see the army as pre-eminent, and suspect fighting India remains its priority rather than fighting old allies among the Afghan Taliban and Punjab-based militant groups.
Yet the country has won credibility, and praise, for the latter. Its clout has grown rapidly in Washington following successful campaigns against militants in South Waziristan, close to the Afghan border, and the Swat valley, and the arrest in February of Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, the Taliban military chief in Afghanistan, and four other prominent Taliban leaders this year. US diplomats say the relationship has been "transformed" in recent months. "Pakistan has shown its ability to give a direction to future events, and to bring the Taliban to the negotiating table," says one.
But there is no doubt that the US and Nato allies want Pakistan to do more. On his visit to Afghanistan last month Barack Obama, US president, said: "We have seen already progress with respect to the military campaign [in Pakistan] against extremism, but we also want to continue to make progress on [civilian assistance]."
At the core of the relationship with America is the endgame in Afghanistan. While Mr Obama is anxious to oversee the return of most of his troops fighting there ahead of the next US presidential election in 2012 and present a successful end to the campaign, Pakistan wants financial help in return for assisting the US, and its role in the country's future recognised with political power for its former militant allies.
It is the emphasis on the fight against militants that has changed Pakistan's precarious political balance. His leading role in engagement with Washington, which he visited at the end of last month, has brought the publicity-shy Gen Kiyani a more public role in what Hillary Clinton, US secretary of state, has called an "integrated" civilian and military leadership. The shift started in February when Gen Kiyani publicly outlined Islamabad's priorities on its western and eastern borders, addressing goals in Afghanistan and disputes with India.
"Kiyani is clearly driving the agenda of the US-Pakistan engagement," says Maria Kuusisto of the Eurasia Group, a political risk consultancy. "In the run-up to the dialogue, Kiyani called the relevant [secretaries], including ministers of foreign affairs, finance and water and power, to his army headquarters for consultations – and during the dialogue, Kiyani has taken the lead in presenting Pakistan's case."
While the US has welcomed Gen Kiyani's participation as reflecting a united civilian and military leadership, his increasingly public role carries risks for Pakistan.
First, if the relationship with Washington falls short of expectations, Gen Kiyani stands to get the blame within Pakistan for the failure of a dialogue he is leading. Pakistan went to to the US with a list of demands, including better trade access, speedy delivery of financial assistance, construction of new power stations and help on disputes with India over the contested territory of Kashmir and water-sharing agreements in a drought-prone region. The government is also pushing for a civil nuclear deal similar to the one struck with India, which gave its nuclear programme global legitimacy – in spite of Pakistan's record of nuclear proliferation – in the interests of "regional stability". It came away with little new, in spite of a warm reception from Mrs Clinton.
The talks were "more significant for their atmospherics than any tangible outcome", says Maleeha Lodhi, Pakistan's former ambassador to the US and the UK. "Important, however, were assurances conveyed to the Pakistani delegation that America's long- term strategic interests were consistent with Pakistan's security."
Taking on the Taliban
Pakistan has arrested as many as 20 Taliban and al-Qaeda leaders in its territory this year, giving hope to the US and other western allies that a country that once provided shelter to the Afghan Taliban is increasing pressure on militants along its border with Afghanistan. The arrests by the Inter-Services Intelligence military spy agency, including that of the Afghan Taliban's second-in-command, are seen as a disruption of the Quetta Shura, a Taliban leadership council.
According to Gen Mahmood Durrani, previously Pakistan's ambassador to the US and a former national security adviser, "The general's presence is 'optical' to suggest that the army is going under the civil leaders' [authority]."
Second, a more prominent role for the army is likely to reinforce the notion that the military is the most powerful force in the land, and that the civilian leadership is near irrelevant. This would be a stumbling block for recently restarted talks between Pakistan and India. New Delhi often complains that, with a choice between a weak civilian leadership and a powerful anti-Indian army, it does not know whom to talk to in Islamabad.
Indian commentators view American-trained Gen Kiyani as a chip off the old block. They are mistrustful of his past in the Inter-Services Intelligence, the nerve centre of the security system, and of his role as a commander in the 1990s on Pakistan's side of the Line of Control in Kashmir at a time when cross-border insurgency increased. India's diplomats are alarmed by what they see as his calculating introduction of water as a source of dispute. Some more hawkish analysts say water shortages in south Asia, rather than Kashmir, threaten to fuel future jihadi violence.
Gen Kiyani has impressed on the global stage, however. "The bluster that marked Musharraf has been dumped for quiet gravitas," says Indrani Bagchi, diplomatic editor of the Times of India. She believes he is capable of outmanoeuvring India and Afghanistan at international meetings, such as January's London conference on Afghanistan, where Pakistan's role as a partner for the US and Nato in Afghanistan was boosted.
Third, a larger role for the army is unlikely to address some of the country's gravest issues: the economy and internal administrative reform. Failure to oversee a robust set of economic reforms is risky in a country of 180m, mainly poor, people. Pakistan has made little progress in securing better trade access to European Union markets and larger preferential quotas for entry to the US. Uncertainty is mounting over government promises to the International Monetary Fund to strengthen the economy and a widening fiscal deficit.
"Can [Pakistan's] policies be taken seriously when we have gone through three international financial bail-outs in the last 12 years and you can still not be certain if another one in the future will be required?" says Abid Hasan, former adviser on Pakistan to the World Bank. "There are long-term issues related to the rule of law, politics, governance and the economy."
. . .
There is a sense in Pakistan that the military is in the ascendant; and for some this is welcome. "The Pakistani army is a very sophisticated army," says Khurshid Kasuri, foreign minister under General Pervez Musharraf. "These people have been to defence universities all over the world. They have been to security conferences."
Those in the wider region are less enthusiastic. Lalit Mansingh, former Indian foreign secretary, says Gen Kiyani is stepping into a more political role, though it is not clear how far he will go. He says a key question will be whether he extends his term as a service chief, a decision that must be taken by Mr Zardari. Gen Shuja Pasha, ISI head and an ally of Gen Kiyani, this year extended his term on grounds that it was not appropriate to replace him in the heat of battle. Other senior generals, such as Lt Gen Khalid Kidwai, chief of strategic plans division, have not stepped aside.
Gen Kiyani is due to step down in November but now looks nearly indispensable. "The really substantive, and strategic, exchanges [in Washington] took place outside the formal dialogue process in unpublicised meetings including a dinner hosted by Admiral [Mike] Mullen [the senior US military commander] and attended by Gen Kiyani," says Ms Lodhi.
With the army at the head of the table and its chief likely to shun retirement, "Ponder the Improbable" may yet prove to be a fitting epitaph for a civilian government once again edged aside by the generals.
India's unhelpful attitude
By Tariq Fatemi
India's long tradition of democracy has given the country an image of a responsible and restrained nation. But this view is not shared by India's neighbours, especially the smaller ones.
An India's Border Security Force (BSF) soldier patrols near the fenced border with Pakistan in Suchetgarh, southwest of Jammu, January 12, 2010. An Indian soldier was killed on Monday in cross-border firing in Kashmir, the latest in a spurt of violence in the disputed region that has raised tensions with Pakistan, officials said. – Photo by Reuters.
The past 60 years have shown India's tendency to throw its weight about and browbeat its neighbours. With those that are bigger and more powerful, India tends to adopt a moralistic and intellectually superior tone, as noted by some American leaders. With its smaller neighbours, it does not hesitate to take off its gloves.
Of course, we are no paragons of virtue either, and in many cases, it has been our own arrogance and folly, more than Indian machinations, that have contributed to our failures and losses, whether in view of the East Pakistan debacle or the Kargil adventure.
It had, however, been expected that with the restoration of a democratic dispensation in Pakistan and with virtually all major political parties committed to establishing a cooperative relationship with India, New Delhi would engage in a comprehensive dialogue aimed at resolving the differences that have plagued ties between the South Asian neighbours.
The Mumbai terror attack in November 2008 angered the Indian government, which thereafter had to cater to massive popular outrage. The consequent decision to suspend the dialogue with Pakistan was understandable.
Since then, the Pakistani leadership has been engaged in a major effort to convince New Delhi that it was sincere in its desire to cooperate with India with the common objective of confronting the extremists. In fact, the most remarkable thing was the near unanimity with which the Pakistanis not only condemned the Mumbai attacks, but also acknowledged that their country needed to take concrete steps to assuage India's anguish.
None of this, however, appears to have had much impact on the Indian establishment. Even the expectations raised at the Gilani-Singh meeting in Sharm El Sheikh were snuffed out when Manmohan Singh's colleagues publicly expressed their misgivings.
Then again, while Singh's statement last October in Srinagar that he was not setting preconditions for the dialogue had raised fresh hopes, it did not indicate anything new, for he placed his readiness for talks in the context of Pakistan being able to create an environment conducive to negotiations. His pronouncement neither accompanied nor followed any move to re-engage Islamabad. Instead, Delhi declined to respond to the road map for resuming talks that Pakistan had conveyed to Indian officials.
This led many to believe that Prime Minister Singh's remarks in Srinagar were merely meant to coincide with US Secretary Hillary Clinton's visit to Pakistan, as well as his own visit to Washington a few weeks later.
In the meanwhile, the Pakistanis kept pleading for the resumption of dialogue, while the Indians continued to rebuff these offers. The Indian foreign minister ridiculed even the offer of back-channel exchanges. It was then that realisation dawned on the Pakistani leadership that the country's repeated requests were becoming demeaning.
In the meanwhile, India appears to have raised the ante, with the Indian army chief Gen Kapoor remarking that "the possibility of a limited war in a nuclear overhang is still a reality, at least in the Indian subcontinent".
What has been particularly galling is the failure of the Obama administration to act on its seemingly wise policy pronouncements during the election campaign. Instead of encouraging India to reduce its presence in Afghanistan and ceasing to stir up trouble in Balochistan, the US appears to have gone along with Indian allegations, agreeing to inject into the US-India joint statement a provision "to work jointly to deal with terrorism emanating from India's neighbourhood".
This was strange, coming from an administration that had publicly expressed a desire to promote Indo-Pakistan normalisation and to work for the resolution of the Kashmir problem.
The Indian army chief's latest statement in which he spoke of his army's capacity to fight a two-front war has evoked great surprise and disappointment. But while it conveyed hostility and belligerence, his words are neither realistic nor achievable as India does not have the capability to successfully initiate its much-heralded 'cold start' strategy, much less wage two wars against two neighbours simultaneously.
This does not mean, however, that we can dismiss these statements as mere rhetoric. It could be more evidence of the increasing inclination of the Indian forces to have a role in the India-Pakistan equation.
According to some observers, there has been a slow but perceptible change in India where an increasing number are reported to have insisted on being given more than merely a 'hearing' on issues relating to Pakistan, especially Siachen and Sir Creek. The Indian armed forces have gradually come to believe that given the growing challenges that India faces both domestically and on its frontiers, a more visible role for it is in order.
Another important factor is the newfound confidence acquired from the special relationship that the US has so eagerly conferred on India, not only as its strategic partner, but also as a potential counterweight to China. No less important could be the growing influence of rightwing parties and religious groups that want India to adopt more nationalist policies vis-à-vis its neighbours.
Whatever the reason, our leaders should not react in haste or with similar belligerence. What must be avoided at all costs are provocative steps, such as refusing to cooperate against the militants or brandishing nuclear assets.
Instead, what is required is a dispassionate analysis of what these signals portend for Pakistan and sensitising our friends to Indian actions. While we must not be distracted from the objective of seeking a peaceful resolution of our differences with India, we must not show undignified haste towards that end.


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subset: commoncrawl


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Energy conservation used to be the talk of tree huggers and environmentalists. Companies thought that they will just negotiate with the power company for a cheaper energy price and that is all they need to do to reduce their energy cost. However, as energy prices continue to rise and the stability of fossil fuels is becoming shaky, even CEO's and President realize the need for energy conservation. What is energy conservation? Basically its like making the perfect martini. Just the right amount of gin and vermouth and a dash of olive juice.
The principle is to use only the energy you need for the operation of a company and to reduce wastage. Just like a martini can be ruined with too much gin, a company becomes wasteful when it doesn't use its energy properly. Most companies see their power bill and think "that's just part of doing business. I need a store, lights and equipment. There is no way I could be in business without paying for my power bill." That is true, however there are many companies that do not know how much electricity, oil, gas or propane they waste every day because of simple inefficiencies. For example, not shutting half the lights off at night. Having heaters and air conditioners operating at the same time.
Leaving stock room doors open when it's freezing outside. However, many VP's and CEO's complain that there is no one to watch for all these inefficiencies. Yet with the rise in technology, there are ways for companies to do energy conservation without having to increase their work force. The system is called "energy monitoring system" and it will monitor 17 or more points in a company and will tell Managers where their energy is being used. So instead of getting a power bill and just blindly paying for it, you now have the capacity to change your bill. Wow, imagine the power you have that you can change the amount of you pay for your energy bill.
One company called EG Energy Controls can provide an energy monitoring system that will show you which equipment is using the most energy, which departments are the most energy conscious and how much emissions you are reducing with your energy saving practices. Energy conservation is actually the simplest way to reduce energy costs because it has minimal capital costs and it has a big payback. A lot of times companies rely on getting cheaper energy to reduce their energy costs, however that is delaying the inevitable. The reality is that energy costs will continue to rise and the companies that have already invested in energy conservation methods will be the ones reaping the rewards. The ones that were slow, they will not have the time to rebound and they will go bankrupt.
That reality is not a pretty one, but times are changing and our dependence on cheap energy will not last. If you are interested in getting advice on how to reduce your energy costs, find a reputable company that has a good track record. They will help you reduce your energy costs and provide you with systems that have an excellent payback.
Here the author Julia Herniak writes about the Energy Conservation is Not Just for Tree Huggers. For more information on energy monitoring, visit http://www.egenergy.com


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Not necessarily for the better, but the form of a journal nudges your thinking into becoming more linear, in-depth, focused, and comprehensible for a reader with a quick eye and probable impatience. It encourages that word that most writers hate yet desperately need—discipline.
the vanity fair diaries
The Vanity Fair Diaries by Tina Brown
"I found Charlotte Curtis unbearable. What a bogus grandee she is, a coiffed asparagus, exuding a second-rate intellectualism. She didn't ask me one question about VF or any damn thing. Still, I always love hearing Shirley yak on in her cigar-brown voice. She reminds me of Olive Oyl in Popeye"


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Events for August 17, 2020
Events Search and Views Navigation
6:00 am
Silent Meditation
6:00-7:00 am, Weekday mornings – The Chapel is open every weekday morning from 6-7 am for those who would like to sit together in silent prayer or meditation. Stay for 10 minutes or for the whole hour. The Chapel is offered as a sacred space in which people can gather "in the beauty […]Find out more »
6:30 pm
Poetry Writing Group
meets the first and third Monday of each month from 6:30 – 8pm. New members are always welcome! The next meeting is on March 3 beginning at 6:30pm. Please contact Megan Buchanan with any questions at firstname.lastname@example.com out more »


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Wesley Baby & Toddler Group
Fridays 09.45 - 11.00am
in the Lower Hall
(term time only)
The Wesley Baby and Toddler Group exists to give your child (and you) the opportunity to enjoy free play, craft activities and singing in a fun, friendly and caring environment. The group provides a place for carers of young children to come, relax, meet new friends and spend time playing with their children.
At the group you'll be able to meet others in your situation and give and receive mutual support and encouragement. We hope that the group will be a safe, caring environment for your children to play in and to come into contact with other children of a similar age.
Carers from within the group also run it. Most of the morning is free playtime for children. There is a range of toys and books available and an activity table every week with craft, painting and sticking. We finish each week with a singing session for everyone.
There are no fees involved. However, a suggested donation of £1.00 per visit would be appreciated, but certainly not obligatory!


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In our busy, hurried, device-driven society, many of us find ourselves very productive and successful in our work, but still longing for more. More real connection, deeper, more loving relationships. In our upcoming two-part series, PRESENCE, learn the power and beauty that can change your life when we learn to live fully in the present.
Part 1: Sunday, November 19th
Part 2: Sunday, November 26th


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Traditional Irish fare is hearty and sticks to your ribs, like the recipe below for colcannon. This classic side combines two winter staples: potatoes and cabbage. When they come together with butter, cream, and scallions, these humble ingredients make for a delightful, hearty side dish.
Colcannon is delicious served alongside corned beef hash or beef roast, but you can also serve it as part of a vegetarian meal. Consider serving colcannon alongside a vegetarian roast or even topped with a poached egg or two. Filling and delicious, it's the perfect option for Meatless Monday.
Cooktop Cove


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Help them relax and refresh with 3 teas from Tealish's Iced Tea Collection.
Package includes:
CITRUS GROVE BLACK TEA: orange zest, lemongrass, ginger, citrus, coconut flakes, red peppercorns, cardamom, red currants, sunflower blossoms
LAVENDER MINT GREEN TEA: peppermint, spearmint, lavender, rose and citrus
FAIRY DUST ROOIBOS TEA: green rooibos, honeybush tea, strawberry, apple, elderflower, orange flower, flavouring, rose petals.
Brewing Instructions : Use 1 teaspoon per cup. Steep in boiling water for 2-5 mins.
Browse more gifts from Tealish.
Click here for more information about Toronto Gift Delivery.


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Beggars want to be kings and kings want to be greater kings. Each of us seeks out XRP knowledge and riches for our own reasons. Some are enthralled by the process of development and implementation more than price. Others are strictly focused on upward price movement and untold riches. There are many who populate the temporary wastelands in between. We roam about wondering "when moon" and follow those who proclaim to know something which the profane do not. Those who make such claims are indeed the profane amongst us, for the accumulation of knowledge and wisdom are two different things. Wisdom is the key to managing knowledge. Do you see profane Man? The king and the beggar are one and the same.
To continue reading please subscribe for full access!


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After 16 years of negotiations the Government of the Philippines and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) have completed the negotiations for a Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB) that settles one of the most protracted armed conflicts in the world. This is the most significant peace agreement since the Nepal agreement in 2006.
The 43rd round of talks held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on 22 - 25 January, dealt with a return to normalisation - the fourth and last annex of the Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro, which both sides signed in October 2012. This annex focuses on the security arrangements in the Bangsamoro, the self-governing entity that will result from the peace negotiations.
With the facilitation of the Government of Malaysia and the support of the International Contact Group – of which Conciliation Resources and the UK Government are members – over the past year the parties signed the annexes on power sharing, transitional arrangements and wealth sharing.
In a majority Christian and highly centralised country, Muslims in the southern island of Mindanao - who call themselves Bangsamoro - have been waging an armed struggle for self-determination since 1968. In its early years the conflict caused more than 100,000 deaths. As recently as 2008 more than 500,000 people were displaced when the peace negotiations hit a serious stumbling block.
This agreement brings a closure to a conflict that is rooted in centuries old resistance against colonisation and assimilation. The Government and MILF are proving that unity in diversity is not only possible, but a cornerstone for a healthy democracy.
Kristian Herbolzheimer, Philippines Programme Director at Conciliation Resources
Empowerment of the Bangsamoro people
Parties have agreed to jointly pursue measures to increase the Bangsamoro's revenue generation and wealth creation capacity "to attain the highest form of fiscal autonomy". The central government will provide a yearly block grant and will create a special fund to fast-track development in what today is one of the poorest regions in the Philippines. The Bangsamoro will enjoy increased taxation powers; they will further have a share of 75% of revenues from metallic minerals and 50% from fossil fuels extracted within its territory.
In terms of power-sharing, central Government retains powers like defense, foreign policy, immigration and global trade. The Bangsamoro will manage 58 exclusive powers within its territorial jurisdiction including investment, employment, agriculture, land management, free ports, tourism, power generation, shari'ah and customary justice, education, health, social services public works, and local administration. Social security and pensions, human rights, justice, civil service, coastguard, and public order will be shared responsibilities between both administrations.
Future challenges
Despite this landmark achievement challenges remain immense. The Bangsamoro entity will govern a plural society composed of 16 ethno-linguistic Muslim groups, 13 indigenous groups and a minority Christian population. Tensions between and among these groups are frequent, especially related to land disputes. Breakaway groups, private armies, and proliferation of weapons pose additional security threats.
Conciliation Resources is coordinating a project to promote public participation in the implementation of the peace agreement. Together with 10 local partners, and funded by the EU, Norway and the UK, the project will increase local capacities and ownership in drafting the Basic Law, deploying the new police force, and ensuring the rights of victims to truth, justice and reparation.
The more inclusive, the more legitimate; and the more legitimate, the more sustainable the peace process will be.
Kristian Herbolzheimer, Philippines Programme Director at Conciliation Resources
For interviews with Kristian Herbolzheimer, Philippines Programme Director and Emma Leslie, Philippines Programme Associate, please contact:
Tamanna Kalhar | Media & Communications Officer | Mobile: +44 (0)7436 102 514 | email@example.com
Notes to editors: Conciliation Resources is an independent organisation working with people in conflict to prevent violence and build peace. In the Philippines, we work with all sections of society from grassroots communities to the political elite, enabling individuals and organisations to play a constructive, problem-solving role in developing peace. We place special emphasis on empowering women as a key approach for a just and lasting peace. www.c-r.org


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Adobe Announces Release of Flash Media Server 4
Features of Media Server 4 include HTTP Dynamic Streaming, IP Multicast and Peer-Assisted Delivery. By using HTTP Dynamic Streaming, companies can store their video files on any available Web cache locations, whether local or on the public Internet.
IDC's Melissa Webster, vice president, content and digital media technologies, believes the enterprise is ready for such a solution. "We are already seeing video in the enterprise becoming an expected, mission-critical part of enterprise communications capabilities. The challenge is making it easy to create, manage and deliver that video with a predictable level of quality."


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HW-G Series industrial scales from A&D Australasia feature liquid crystal [HW-KGL series] or Vacuum Fluorescent [HW-KGV series] displays.
Manufactured in Australia, these industrial scales are reliable and feature a high resolution up to 1 in 12,000. They have a standard RS232C serial data interface and their software includes counting, batching, and percentage functions.
Further features of HW-G Series industrial scales are a single point overload protected load cell and a built in comparator function with full feed/dribble feed control. They have full digital calibration (FDC) to ensure accurate and simple calibration and counting at 1/8 displayed division, 96,000 max displayed count.
HW-G Series industrial scales include the following models:
- HW-10KGL has a capacity of 10 kg X 0.001 kg
- HW-60KGL has a capacity of 60 kg X 0.005 kg
- HW-10KGV has a capacity of 10 kg X 0.00 1kg
- HW-60KGV has a capacity of 60 kg X 0.005 kg
- HW-100KGV has a capacity of 100 kg X 0.0 1kg
- HW-200KGV has a capacity of 220 kg X 0.02 kg
- HW-100KGL has a capacity of 100 kg X 0.01 kg
- HW-200KGL has a capacity of 220 kg X 0.02 kg


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Thursday, October 1, 2009
First show!
Here is the playlist and recording for the inaugural Bunnies in Space show.
Playlist for Bunnies in Space 10/1/2009
Host: Admiral Bun
Asterisk denotes new release.
Michael Andrews - When I Call a Name - Me and You and Everyone We Know OST
Brown Recluse Sings - An Ornithological Portrait of the Western Meadowlark - Brown Recluse Sings
Gaze - 400 A.D. - Skatterbrain September Mix
Japancakes - Tremor - Waking Hours
*Washed Out - Feel It All Around - Life of Leisure EP
The Endless Bummer - Mend My Bleeding Heart - Donald Fagan Mixtape
*Rose Melberg - Look Skyward - Homemade Ship
*Desolation Wilderness - Boardwalk Theme - New Universe
Vivian Girls - Can't Get Over You - Everything Goes Wrong
Dear Nora - From My Bedroom Window - We'll Have a Time
Jeffrey Lewis - Big A, Little A - 12 Crass Songs
*Karl Blau - Crucial Contact - Zebra
P:ano - Dark Hills - Brigadoon
*The Hidden Cameras - Silence Can Be a Headline - Origin:Orphan
Jens Lekman - Shirin - Night Falls Over Kortedala
Hauschka - Watercolour Milk - Room to Expand
Cole Milner - I Know You're There - Cool Millions
*The Pastels / Tenniscoats - Sodane - Two Sunsets
Colorpulse - Glorious Dawn feat. Carl Sagan and Stephen Hawking - (YouTube)
Black Tambourine - Throw Aggi off the Bridge - Complete Recordings
Neon Indian - Mind, Drips - Psychic Chasms EP
Destroyer - In Dreams - Thief
Birdie Hilltop - Thousand French Movies - 1502
The Wake - Crush the Flowers - Crush the Flowers
*Railcars - Castles - Cathedral with No Eyes
Rocketship - I'm Lost Without You Here - A Certain Smile, a Certain Sadness
*Fool's Gold - Surprise Hotel - Fool's Gold
A free download of the show is here.
I mentioned some bands playing live at the UCI campus. More info on that is at ACROBATICS EVERYDAY.
The Railcars tour schedule is on their Myspace.
Feel free to leave any requests for next week in the comments.
Thanks for tuning in!
by Unknown at 8:37 AM
categories missions accomplished
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Walkers Lodge Bed and Breakfast Accommodation nr Little Haven
Walkers Lodge is a family-run bed and breakfast near Little Haven, Havordwest; ideally located for the beach, coast path and Boat trips to Skomer, Grassholme and Skokholme Islands. Dogs welcome. Ideal for families and group bookings. There is a wide choice of activities available locally, coasteering, windsurfing, surfing, paintballing, quads, go karting kayaking and diving to name but a few, making Walkers Lodge perfect for any activity breaks in Pembrokeshire. For more information/weblinks for these activities click on the highlighted words.
When looking for a comfortable, family-run B&B, close to Little Haven and Broadhaven in the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park; look no further than Walkers Lodge Accommodation. This idealistic lodge sits in a picturesque area between the market town of Haverfordwest and the village of Dale and is surrounded by public walks and cycling routes. Guests are treated like an additional member of the family, being included in breakfast and evening meals if they choose to be, and are provided with a large lounge/dining room with logburner, TV, DVD, Nintendo Wii , WiFi and CD player as well as a range of books and games. This ideally located home from home is perfect for any guest wanting a homely, active holiday in a beautiful area; with quaint villages waiting to be discovered and explored.
Walkers Lodge is in a central location with several towns and villages around,an ideal location for anyone wanting to explore the area thoroughly. Situated just a mile from the fishing village of Little Haven, and just a short walk along Settlands beach from Little Haven is Broadhaven; which is perfect for sailing, swimming and surfing. Walkers Lodge is ideally located for the boat trips to the islands of Skomer and Skokholme, beautiful early in the year when the puffins are home to roost. Boat trips run from April 1st to October 31st from Martinshaven approx 5 miles away. If you'd rather not take the car then there's always the option of travelling by bus, the Puffin Shuttle, which runs along the coast and stops just 200 yards from the B&B. For those travelling with younger guests that would rather an exciting day out; the lodge is just 20 minutes away from St Davids, The Preseli Mountains, Tenby as well as Oakwood Theme Park, Folly Farm and Manor House Zoo.
Dive groups are always welcome at Walkers Lodge, (the old West Wales Dive Centre) there is an air station to fill your bottles less than a mile away. Perhaps the best diving to be found in Wales is around the 180 miles of Pembrokeshire coastline, where you will find many places only accessible by boat. The area is a beautiful both above and below the water, with an abundance of marine life. You will find seals, dolphins, sunfish, triggerfish, seahorses and even the odd shark and whale have been seen. Once you are past Tenby, the visibility improves dramatically. Whilst average visibility is around 8 metres it is possible to get up to 20 metres around Skomer Island. The Lucy is the most dived wreck in the area with its deck at 32 metres and dropping down to 40 metres over the side. There are a few places where you are able to penetrate her. The size of the wreck allows her to be dived without incurring huge decompression penalties. Whilst this is a fairly advanced dive, there are numerous opportunities for less experienced divers, for example at Rye Rock, North Haven on Skomer Island and at High Point, just east of Martin's Haven. If weather conditions are not favourable it is usually possible to dive inside Milford Haven. Within the Haven there are numerous wrecks and when visibility is good they can be a real treat. The Dakotian is one of the best wrecks around when you have the visibility. There are many places to swim through and the rudder is huge and well worth seeing. Other wrecks are the Caroline, Beehar, Greek, Landing Craft,Collier, Thor, HMS Barking, Highland Home (30 metres), Sub, Martrona, Faraday, Loch Shiel and a few more.


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Performances of Ellington will be held Dec. 13-14.
Scheduled to perform are David Berger Jazz Orchestra, Tony nominee Norm Lewis, Priscilla Baskerville, Jason Samuels Smith and Dance Theatre of Harlem.
Under the musical direction of David Berger, this holiday presentation, according to press notes, will include "excerpts from Duke Ellington's The Nutcracker Suite, featuring jazz interpretations of the original Tchaikovsky composition arranged by Ellington and Billy Strayhorn, and an excerpt from Ellington's Sacred Music Concert. With narration by actor Norm Lewis, the two-part program will also feature singers and Priscilla Baskerville, tap dancer Jason Samuels Smith, a mass gospel choir of over 50 voices, and Dance Theatre of Harlem."
Tickets, priced $35-$65, will go on sale July 14 at The Apollo Theater Box Office, (212) 531-5305, 253 West 125th Street, and Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000, www.ticketmaster.com.
Visit apollotheater.org for more information about the upcoming season.


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Trying to leave the house and get to work, it's feels like someone pulling my nails out one by one as I try and get to the door. Tears won't quit and sweat is literally dripping down my wamrs and it hurts like being stabbed in the gut by a serrated knife that won't dislodge. All I want is to just curl up on the couch and tell them to fuck off, the voices in my heads and all the detractors. I can't do any better than I am doing, take it or leave it, but just quit trying to make me into someone I am not.
Thankfully, I feel steady inside in that deep place that where today would normally mean a blood bath on my arm I have managed to stay conscious enough to know this is not my fault, I am not doubting me but what I do want is to get away from the people that doubt me, press me, distrust me.
Kudos to me,
My DBF at Christmas pretty much told me due to me there hasn't been any happy in 3 years and I am an ungrateful beeyatch. Always good for the mental health.
Work hasn't said one affirmative word to me since i started working there. It's pretty much been a litany of what has not been done, done wrong, managed wrong or the best part today, how I have been taking advantage of the company. Seriously, if you have an issue, quit beating me up and just find someone else. I don't need to hear everyday about my shortcomings and mistakes.
This should all pale next to the fact that I am still grieving for a friend that died. It's my father's death anniversary in a week and he would have turned 80 this week. It was his birthday, my sister and I had a good cry together.
My disability paperwork has been a government roller coaster of give, take, give and take. At least that feels normal, no surprise there, dealing with known quantity.
Positives, you cannot make me fucking acknowledge that I am bad, I work fucking hard, I am a good friend, I loved my DBF very much and i do everything honestly and straight forward, and I trust. TRUST. Does no one have that anymore? Respect? Maybe I need to be a meaner more vindictive person but that's not who I want to be, I do believe that they are good people, with good souls, who do things without need for gain. People before things, people before money. You want me to be that horrid person, I can let my BPD go, I'll show you psychosis and untrustworthy, let Gollum out of the cage, he'll show you evil, mean, vindictive, passive aggressive, addictive personality.
The good, I do have a partner, working partner, that does get it, we work well together, we do damn good work, people admire us and we don't deal with drama and pettiness. Gotta see the positive. I have an amazing family, which credit to me, they're good selfless sentient people because they were raised by good people.
So, the long and short, it may be another Ativan day to get through the pettiness of the day and the emails and the people. The storm is still ahead, I can feel it in my gut. A few more hammers coming down, like whack a mole, which one/s will finally get me or will i manage to doge and escape them and get out of the game. I don't need to play this game but I am truly hoping that people will realize that there is a better way to be and to treat people.


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Small World - Square chair installation art
Back Download
Small World explores how projection technology can be applied to modern installation art without disrupting the tranquillity of a resting space. This art installation comprises a 5 by 5 grid of elevating chairs with image and sound projection that covers an area of 200 square meters. The projection art itself conveys changing expressions, generating responsive feedback images according to the seat pressure of the individual chairs. In this way, it intrigues and encourages users to interact with the chairs. Small World expresses differently in different places, to different crowds and at different times of the day. For example, images of a swimming fish and the sound of dripping water is used to promote ideas about ocean conservation; fluttering tulip petals and bird calls in the wind hints at urban culture; and different animation images signals the opening of an animation festival.
- Company:Zhongshan Longyuyuan Electric Appliance Co., Ltd. , China
- Team Lead:Fan Fengyuan
- Design:Chen Yang, Chen Zechuan, Guo Lei, Liu Yequan, Luo Shiju
- Design partner:Shenzhen Handy Decration Engineering Co., LTD., China
- Team Lead:Zhou Zhijian


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Zyxel XGS3700-24HP 24/48-port GbE L2+ Switch with 10GbE Uplink
24-port GbE L2+ PoE Switch with 10GbE Uplink, 100/1000 Mbps PoE 24 Port, 10-Gigabit SFP+ 4 Port, Switch class Layer 2 Plus (Layer 3 Lite)
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Zyxel XGS3700-24HP 24/48-port GbE L2+ Switch with 10GbE Uplink
24-port GbE L2+ PoE Switch with 10GbE Uplink, 100/1000 Mbps PoE 24 Port, 10-Gigabit SFP+ 4 Port, Switch class Layer 2 Plus (Layer 3 Lite)
XGS3700/GS3700 Series
24/48-port GbE L2+ Switch
XGS3700-24 24-port GbE L2+ PoE Switch with 10GbE Uplink
Non-stop Business Continuity for Mission Critical Applications
The ZyXEL XGS3700/GS3700 Series are advanced Layer 2 Plus (Layer 3 Lite) Gigabit managed switches perfect for data center access, SMB core/aggregation, and mission critical PoE applications. The Series consists of eight (8) models including 24- and 48-port configurations, PoE and non-PoE models, as well as 1GbE (GS3700 Series) and 10GbE (XGS3700 Series) uplink options. The complete Series is designed with an advanced feature set with static routing, policy-based routing (PBR), VRRP and ECMP support. The high redundancy hardware architecture includes dual, internal power supplies and hot-swappable fan and power modules. The PoE models also comply with the IEEE 802.3at PoE Plus standard and provide industry-leading PoE power budget of up to 1000 watts.
Resiliency and availability for non-stop business continuity
The ZyXEL XGS3700/GS3700 Series features a no single point of failure (NSPOF) hardware and software design to provide the resiliency needed for non-stop business continuity. Its high redundancy hardware architecture includes dual, internal power supplies—which not only ensures 100% uptime in the event of a power supply failure, but also saves rack space compared to external power supplies. Additionally, both the fan module and the power supply modules are hot-swappable to enable zero downtime troubleshooting.
In terms of software features, the ZyXEL XGS3700/GS3700 Series supports Equal Cost Multipath Routing (ECMP) and Virtual Router Redundancy Protocol (VRRP) for increased network availability and reliability. The physical stacking feature of the XGS3700 Series facilitates management for multiple switches with one single interface. The cross-stack LACP technology allows traffics to be carried over to other links when a LACP link fails to provide high redundancy. The stacking ring technology allows no interruption to data forwarding if any stack switch fails to ensure resiliency.
ZyXEL ONE Network experience
Aiming for relieving our customers from repetitive operations of deploying andmanaging a network, ZyXEL ONE Network is designed to simplify the configuration, management, and troubleshooting, allowing our customers to focus on the business priorities. ZyXEL ONE Network presents an easy-to-use tool, ZyXEL ONE Network Utility (ZON Utility), to realize speed network setup. ZyXEL Smart Connect* allows ZyXEL networking equipment to be aware and recognize each other and further facilitating the network maintenance via one-click remote functions such as factory reset or power cycling. ZyXEL ONE Network redefines the network integration across multiple networking products from switch to Wi-Fi AP and to Gateway.
High power capacity and high availability for mission critical PoE applications
The ZyXEL XGS3700/GS3700 Series features four (4) high power PoE models in 24- and 48-port configurations. The complete PoE portfolio provides up to 30 watts per port with IEEE 802.3at PoE Plus compliance, and is backward compatible with the IEEE 802.3af standard. All models provide an industry-leading PoE power budget of 1000 watts with dual power supply units or 460 watts with a single power supply unit. Combined with the high resiliency hardware and software features, the XGS3700/GS3700 Series PoE switches are ideal for mission critical IP surveillance, WLAN and high quality VoIP applications.
Deployment flexibility and investment protection
With a comprehensive portfolio of eight (8) 24-/48-port, PoE/non-PoE and 1GbE/10GbE uplink configurations, the ZyXEL XGS3700/GS3700 Series provides the flexibility to be deployed in all sorts of deployments including data center access, SMB core/aggregation, and mission critical PoE applications. The Series provides added routing flexibility with support for static routing and policy-based routing (PBR); and its full and consistent GUI, CLI and MIB ensures simplified management and consistent configurations.
Investment protection is guaranteed with the ZyXEL XGS3700/GS3700 Series. Its high port density and high power budget design leaves room for future deployment expansion and eliminates the need to purchase additional equipment. The four (4) 10GbE ports on the XGS3700 models facilitates easy transition to 10GbE networking in data center and enterprise networks, while full IPv6 support ensures that your network is ready for the future.
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Sean Whalen/Facebook; seanwwhalen/Instagram
When a guy is buying flowers, people often assume it is for a specific reason: a holiday, birthday, anniversary or because he messed up. Flowers can be a key way to apologize for making his partner angry and the bigger the bouquet, the bigger the crime. However, author and social media personality Sean Whalen is here to tell guys they need to do better than that -- and honestly, we are over here cheering.
When Sean was out shopping at Costco, he decided to buy two bouquets of flowers -- and he was hit with assumptions while checking out.
"You guys wait for a day on a calendar to tell you when to buy flowers. Think that through for a second," Sean says.
"Fellas, what you value, you invest in," the father of three adds.
Check out his full video below!
We are definitely on board with this!


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Old Man Pipe Wrench was a Doozer, mentioned on Fraggle Rock. A well-remembered figure from the "first days" of Doozer history, Old Man Pipe Wrench tended to cross boundaries. In "All Work and All Play," the Architect recalls that Pipe Wrench refused to take the helmet. He was also the last known Doozer to actually take credit for his work, which he had to give back, prior to the events in "The Doozer Contest."
Community content is available under CC-BY-SA unless otherwise noted.


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Every girl knows fairy tales about princesses and princes, their love and big amazing weddings in the castles, and secretly dreams about such beautiful sincere love. What if your dream will come true?
Today's wedding is such wonderful example of dreams coming true. A bride looks like real princess. Her gorgeous white dress by and tender hairstyle by create a flawless feminine image. A groom looks really handsome in his suit. What a royal couple!Everything is designed in pastel soft palette in refined style so you will be really inspired!
Let's enjoy this fairy tale together!


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Basics of Hitting Tips
There are many ways in which you can hit a baseball and I have many hitting tips. Practically this is one of the most important techniques to master in the game. Even if you only watch baseball you would benefit from earning how to hit the ball and how a certain angle or technique can impact the outcome. Let`s see some of the best tips on how to hit a baseball:
Eyes on the Ball
If coaches said one thing to remember it is to always keep your eyes on the ball. You cannot expect to react in a correct way or to perform if you don`t always follow the ball. Seeing the ball however is not as easy as it sounds. It requires the balance of multiple factors which determine the accuracy and responsiveness. You need to have the mental focus to follow the ball. This means you need to leave your problems at home as coaches often say. It may also be a good idea to forget about the crowd or people watching you. Your sole purpose is to follow the ball, which is why it is the first hitting tip.
Following the ball also requires good torso coordination. You need to anticipate when the bat will hit the ball and in order to do this, you need to have the right biomechanics in the torso movement. Your eyes need to be locked on the ball and the movement needs to be as short as possible. The swing should also not affect the position of your head.
The good news is there are many ways to train your brain to see and focus on the ball. You can train with a machine which has multiple pitching balls per minute. Or you can even have a training partner pitching balls at you during your training sessions. A pro tip here is to have the machine or person stand closer to you which will give you less time to react and will sharpen your skills.
Leg Positioning
There are countless pieces of advice on how to improve the position of your legs and how each angle affects your results. First of all, you need to have good mobility before you start working on your legs position. You can train with torso and leg exercises which can tone your muscles and improve joint mobility. Some of the best exercises to achieve this goal are squats, abs or lunges. You may also want to train abs with a medicinal ball. Strong oblique muscles mean you'll have a better control, of your swing. Stronger leg muscles mean you will be able to stabilize yourself better. And finally, good joint mobility is essential for the rotational movement of the swing. These exercises will also improve your starting and stopping mechanisms which are essential for total control.
Legs are also responsible for stopping your forward momentum. A slightly bent leg means you will lose the major stabilization in that leg but you can still use it to improve your body`s position. This hitting tip makes your swing either a hit or a miss.
Focus on the Toe
The back foot is best if kept on the toe. You can use it to move slightly forward or to the side at the last moment. If you train long hours you`ll soon find out which muscles are activated with the back foot. These muscles are the hamstring and the calf. If you over-train you may encounter muscle soreness.
A good way to improve the mobility and stability of the back foot is with certain exercises. They can include hamstring curls and calf raises. Hamstring curls can be performed with a machine or with free weights. Calf raises can also be performed with added weights or with bodyweight only.
Grip Technique
Many bat manufacturers talk about the importance of the grip when hitting the baseball. They know that this becomes very important if not done correctly. For a right-handed player, the position of the right hand when you hit the ball should be with the palm facing upwards. The position of the left hand when you hit the ball should be facing downwards.
You should also note that training or long hours can have a negative impact on your grip. This is especially true with some bats which transfer vibrations from the barrel to the handle and then towards the player. A good tip is to look or bats which offer good barrel isolation and keep the vibrations away. Of course, isolating your hands completely from sting is impossible. To train your grip you can include some light forearm exercises into your weekly routine.
Top Elbow Position
The elbow plays a crucial role in the swings` power. Basically, the further your elbow is from your torso the more torque you will lose. You need to keep your top elbow bent and control it towards your body. This can also be trained with multiple exercises. Since you will be involving many of the hands muscles such as the biceps, triceps, forearms and shoulders it might be a good idea to start toning them with dedicated exercises in the gym. You can train all muscle groups together or alternate pushing and pulling movements to mimic functional mechanics.
There are many more tips which can help you improve the outcome of your swing and hitting the ball. You can see that most advice is a mix of psychological and physical approaches which show the complexity of the movement which coordinates the body and the mind.
So many players fail to appreciate just what it takes for the perfect hit and this is why so many of them don`t train all the areas required to improve the much-needed skills. You need to keep your eyes on the ball and this is why you need to be mentally focused. You need to coordinate the whole movement with your legs and this is why you need strength and mobility. Finally, you need to coordinate your torso and hands to achieve maximum results with minimum swing. The good news is that most of these movements can be improved with practice.