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Army ROTC
Department of Military Science and Leadership
151 Memorial Hall, 419-372-2476
Army ROTC at BGSU provides hands-on training in leadership, team building, problem solving, ethical decision making, and other management principles while preparing young men and women for exciting career opportunities in the United States Army, Army Reserve, and National Guard. The program focuses on aspects of leadership that will serve one extremely well whether pursuing a career in the military or in the business world.
Army ROTC consists of the basic course, offered to freshmen and sophomores, and the advanced course for select juniors, seniors, and graduate students. The basic course is open to most full-time, BGSU-enrolled students. Basic course students participate in two hours of course work each week. Uniforms and textbooks are provided. Classroom instruction is enhanced with participation in activities such as rappelling, rifle marksmanship, map reading, orienteering, and small unit leadership techniques.
Admission to the advanced course is offered on a competitive basis after completion of the basic course. Advanced course students must be academically aligned as juniors or have two full years remaining for degree completion. Students admitted to the advanced course will receive a tax-free stipend of $450 per month their junior year and $500 per month their senior year during each month of the academic year. Students can substitute prior military training or the ROTC Leader's Training Course for the basic course requirement in order to enter the advanced course.
Army ROTC also has four-, three-, and two-year scholarships for eligible students. Scholarships provide tuition, fees, textbook allowance, and a monthly stipend. BGSU also offers free room and board on campus for scholarship students who maintain a 3.00 or greater cumulative GPA
Students who successfully complete Army ROTC will earn a commission as an officer in the Army, Army Reserve, or Army National Guard. They will gain and be able to demonstrate "real-world" leadership and management skills to future employers.
Updated: 04/02/2020 10:56AM


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Deutsche Bundesbank has just released a progress report on its gold bar repatriation programme for 2015 – "Frankfurt becomes Bundesbank's largest gold storage location".
As a reminder, the Bundesbank is engaged in an unusual multi-year repatriation programme to transport 300 tonnes of gold back to Frankfurt from the vaults of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York (FRBNY), and simultaneously to bring back 374 tonnes of gold back to Frankfurt from the vaults of the Banque de France in Paris. This programme began in 2013 and is scheduled to complete by 2020. I use the word 'unusual' because the Bundesbank could technically transport all 674 tonnes of this gold back to Frankfurt in a few weeks or less if it really wanted to, so there are undoubtedly some unpublished limitations as to why the German central bank has not yet done so. Continue reading

subset: commoncrawl


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Museum Collections
Luce Center
1 of set of 6 Side Chairs
Object Number:
Cherry, textile
Overall: 38 1/4 x 20 1/4 x 18 1/2 in. ( 97.2 x 51.4 x 47 cm )
Cherry Chippendale side chair; back with double serpentine crest rail with scrolled ears and pierced splat with interlace design; trapezoidal seat upholstered over the rail with red silk damask which is tacked with metal tacks to seat rail; straight, reeded front legs, curved back legs, and rectangular side and medial stretchers.
Gallery Label:
The donor's husband received the set of six chairs from his sister-in-law, a granddaughter of Israel Putnam (1718-1790). As major-general in the Continental Army, Putnam played an important part in the battle of Bunker Hill. The set of chairs was used in the Board Room of the Historical Society's Second Avenue Building during the second half of the nineteenth century.
Credit Line:
Gift of Mrs. Benjamin M. Norman
Due to ongoing research, information about this object is subject to change.


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Every day for years, we have been shipping exceptional typewriters to new owners. Close your eyes and you will see them flying overseas like birds. It is a new age where digital minds embrace analogue hearts.
Thousands of souls are now open. No longer are letters never sent, novels never finished. Upon a typewritten page, hopeful poems will never again go unread.
Thanks to you, the magic continues! Once forgotten, these remarkable machines are rising from dust and fighting once more for a better world!
Our work and passion give inspiration to storytellers, lovers, dreamers, writers, poets, travelers ...
We have the typewriter that will free your literary soul.
Let us help you find your writing bliss.
Our typewriters and gifts
Let's talk about our highlights and how we work. We do our business with passion and in an easy, honest and legal way.
Our minds have become digital but our hearts are still analogue!
Friendly & Quick communication!
We also buy online and we know there is nothing better than a chat and attention from another human being.
When you buy a new typewriter everything seems to be complicated, especially for young users. What kind of ribbon to use, which keyboard layout to choose, how to maintain it, etc. We have all the answers! Please ask us and we will contact you ASAP (if we don't sleep, of course)
Product in perfect working condition!
We always work hard to make these machines shine and type smoothly again. They're taken apart, thoroughly cleaned, reassembled, oiled and adjusted. Also polished or repainted if needed and if it's possible, we revitalize a carrying case as well. It means it's cleaned, painted or the stains on the plastic are removed, locks are repaired or replaced.
Before the shipping, we record a video and add a quality certificate. Everything is double-checked by our team.
Typewriters are ready to use!
A new ink ribbon is always installed before the shipping and you can easily type over 500 pages with it. You don't have to worry where to buy a new ribbon, you can always order it in our shop or find them easily online, they are still produced.
Custom Gift wrapping is Free!
If you buy it as a present for someone special, we can add a typed note from you :) We will do it even if it is a gift for yourself! We can customize the entire gift- from the colour of a typewriter to hand made paper sheets.
One Year Worldwide Warranty!
Don't worry if you have any issue with your new typewriter. That's the reason you buy in our store, we will take care of everything. Any hidden technical problem is covered by our warranty. The typewriter will be serviced or replaced on our cost. It is our standard!
Lifetime Post Purchase Support!
Once your typewriter arrives at your door, we offer post-purchase online technical support! We will answer your questions and help with maintenance and explain how to resolve common typewriter issues during the use. Yes, we've thought about everything.
Fast and Safe Worldwide Shipping!
Each item is packed in a few layers of special wrap and two new eco-friendly cardboard boxes to protect it in transit. Every standard or priority shipping is followed by us and covered by 100% insurance.
The math is simple: Best Service + Quality product = Happy Client!
Happy shopping!
Latest Review | ★★★★★
Ania & Jacek were wonderful to work with. We needed 4 of the same Olivetti Studio 46 black typewriters for a company's new brand launch. They were very responsive in working with us as we arranged everything to be shipped to multiple company headquarters around a tight timeline. We also appreciated that they got on skype to work with our client when we needed some help troubleshooting. The typewriters are beautiful and will be permanently on display (and used!) at each location for years to come. We'd definitely purchase from them in the future and have had a great experience! Thanks for all of your help Ania & Jacek! :)
store owner
We revitalize typewriters for the good of humanity.
For the last 15 years, we've been living on the Spanish Costa del Sol. We enjoy the sunny weather, bring up our two sons and four rescued dogs and we combine our passions into one fulfilling journey.
We've always liked exceptional things, and we always start each of our trips with a visit to a local flea market where we hunt for treasures. The idea of having our shop appeared many years ago, but at that time we couldn't even have dreamt about selling our typewriters to such distant countries as New Zealand, China, USA or Sri Lanka! Now thanks to the Internet anything is possible!
Quality and hard work always win.
We safely shipped overseas to over 65 countries and our machines are displayed in museums, galleries and hundreds of them are in private collections around the world. Our Pink Olivetti Lettera 32 is in Lady Gaga's hands, a set of custom-made Olivetti Letteras 35 on Eddie Vedder's desk and our Lilac Olivetti Lettera 25 in Ruby Rose's house.
The list is growing and more and more people are inspired!
Thousands of romantic love letters and greeting cards were written on our typewriters.
A typewriter is a machine, but with a soul! It is your best friend...
It listens to you, records your feelings and thoughts, connects them to the keys ...it will take minutes, hours, years... your stories and memories transferred to paper
And in the future, your typewriter will be a perfect gift for someone you love.
.... A new story will begin :)
Richard Polt (typewriterrevolution.com) once wrote - "Every typewriter is unique. It's been touched a million times by its owner(s)... As the habits of its user creates nicks and quirks, the typewriter's behaviour becomes more individual."
A typewriter is a machine, but with a soul! It is your best friend... It listens to you, records your feelings and thoughts, connects them to the keys ...it will take minutes, hours, years... your stories and memories transferred to paper
And in the future, your typewriter will be a perfect gift for someone you love.
All You need is love and a good typewriter!
Best Regards from Southern Spain
Ania ❤ Jacek


text:
"When I attempted . . . to describe our spiritual longings, I was omitting one of their most curious characteristics. We usually notice it just as the moment of vision dies away, as the music ends, or as the landscape loses the celestial light."
"For a few minutes we have had the illusion of belonging to that world. Now we wake to find that it is no such thing. We have been mere spectators. Beauty has smiled, but not to welcome us; her face was turned in our direction, but not to see us. We have not been accepted, welcomed, or taken into the dance. We may go when we please, we may stay if we can: 'Nobody [notices] us.'"
"A scientist may reply that since most of the things we call beautiful are inanimate, it is not very surprising that they take no notice of us. That, of course, is true. It is not the physical objects that I am speaking of, but that indescribable something of which they become for a moment the messengers.
"And part of the bitterness which mixes with the sweetness of that message is due to the fact that it so seldom seems to be a message intended for us, but rather something we have overheard. By bitterness I mean pain, not resentment. We should hardly dare to ask that any notice be taken of ourselves. But we pine. The sense that in this universe we are treated as strangers, the longing to be acknowledged, to meet with some response, to bridge some chasm that yawns between us and reality, is part of our inconsolable secret."
And surely, from this point of view, the promise of glory, in the sense described, becomes highly relevant to our deep desire. For glory means good report with God, acceptance by God, response, acknowledgement, and welcome into the heart of things. The door on which we have been knocking all our lives will open at last."
CS Lewis from the Weight of Glory


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Commentary: Through the immigration looking glass in the U.S.
SAN DIEGO -- With many issues, the more you study them, the more likely you are to understand them. But with the immigration debate, the closer you follow it, the more likely you are to go stark raving mad.
SAN DIEGO - With many issues, the more you study them, the more likely you are to understand them. But with the immigration debate, the closer you follow it, the more likely you are to go stark raving mad.
This probably suits the Obama administration just fine. At this point, it's obvious that the main objective at the White House isn't to solve the immigration problem. Instead, the primary mission of top administration officials such as Valerie Jarrett, senior White House adviser, and Cecilia Munoz, director of the White House Domestic Policy Council, is to protect the president's legacy by deflecting criticism, muddying the waters and confusing detractors.
It makes sense. Once you deport 2 million people in five years, and heartlessly divide hundreds of thousands of families, the only thing left to do is to cover your tracks before someone builds a "deportation wing" in your presidential library.
But rather than let the administration and its supporters rewrite history, let's be clear about a few things.
First, President Obama obviously never meant what he said when he declared his support for giving the undocumented a path to citizenship. If he had, Obama would not have named Rahm Emanuel, who helped stall immigration reform while serving in Congress, as his first chief of staff and put Janet Napolitano, a former Arizona governor who once declared a "state of emergency" on the border, in charge of the Homeland Security Department.
Next, it certainly isn't true - in a hackneyed line that you hear from Obama apologists - that the president deported all those people just to please Republicans. As you watch Obama deal with other issues such as revamping health care and raising the minimum wage, does he strike you as someone with a burning desire to please the opposition?
Finally, Obama was always out to placate only one group: the blue-collar restrictionist wing of the Democratic Party, which believes that illegal immigrants are bad for U.S. workers. Mission accomplished.
The administration's latest smokescreen is especially cynical because White House spinners borrowed it from the GOP.
For the last couple of years, Republicans such as Sen. Jeff Sessions of Alabama and Rep. Lamar Smith of Texas have insisted that the Obama administration is inflating deportation figures by basing them largely on those individuals who were apprehended near the border as opposed to those who live in the interior.
Republicans push this line because they can't figure out why, even with all the recent deportations, there are still so many illegal immigrants in this country.
Really? It's not brain surgery. As long as American employers keep hiring these folks, America will always have an ample supply of illegal immigrants.
Now Obama apologists are advancing the same line to the media in a feeble attempt to make the administration seem more compassionate. It is assumed that illegal immigrants living in "the interior" would be more deeply rooted in society and so their removal would be much more disruptive and painful. Latinos will forgive a great deal of neglect and mistreatment by a Democratic president, but they draw the line at separating families. So Obama administration officials have been quoted as saying that the majority of those deported are those with criminal records or young men who have not put down roots in this country - loners without families who are picked up within hours of crossing the border.
There is only one problem with this narrative, no matter where it is coming from: It doesn't make sense in the real world. "Near the border" is defined as within 100 miles of the international boundary. It turns out that this is not so near.
I happen to live within that range. A few years ago, a woman who cleans homes in my neighborhood was apprehended after the driver of the car in which she was riding was pulled over by a local policeman for rolling past a stop sign. The officer called the Border Patrol to the scene, and the housekeeper was arrested, processed and bused to Mexico. Her three children remained in this country with their father. All this happened within 100 miles of the border. Agents of the U.S. government took custody of that woman and physically relocated her to a foreign country. So much for the lone-male argument the administration is pushing.
If that's not a deportation, then the world has gone crazy - which, in the immigration debate, is par for the course.
Ruben Navarrette's email address is firstname.lastname@example.com .


text:
Source: University of California - Riverside
Posted: March 17, 2006
Researchers at the University of California, Riverside have published findings that show, for the first time, that bone cells can grow and proliferate on a scaffold of carbon nanotubes.
The paper, titled Bone Cell Proliferation on Carbon Nanotubes, appears in the March 8 edition of Nano Letters, a journal of the American Chemical Society. Lead author, Laura Zanello, is an assistant professor of biochemistry at UCR and was joined by UCR colleagues, graduate students Bin Zhao and Hui Hu, and Robert C. Haddon, distinguished professor of chemistry and of chemical and environmental engineering.
Zanello's paper builds on previous research by Haddon which showed that carbon nanotubes could be chemically compatible with bone cells.
Zanello's experiment put Haddon's findings to the test and found that the nanotubes, 100,000 times finer than a human hair, are an excellent scaffold for bone cells to grow on.
"In the past scientists have been plagued by toxicity issues when combining carbon nanotubes with living cells," Zanello said. "So we have been looking for the most pure nanotubes we could get to reduce the presence of heavy metals that are frequently introduced in the manufacturing process."
She credited Haddon's graduate student Zhao, now a postgraduate researcher at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, with manufacturing highly pure nanotubes for her to work with.
Some of the carbon nanotubes were chemically treated and others were not, then they were combined with rat bone cells to determine which combination or combinations worked best. Non-treated and electrically-neutral nanotubes emerged as the best scaffolds for bone growth.
Because carbon nanotubes are not biodegradable, they behave like an inert matrix on which cells can proliferate and deposit new living material, which becomes functional, normal bone, according to the paper. They therefore hold promise in the treatment of bone defects in humans associated with the removal of tumors, trauma, and abnormal bone development and in dental implants, Zanello added.
More research is needed to determine how the body will interact with carbon nanotubes, specifically in its immune response, the paper states.
"We hope to look at the atomic interactions between living matter and synthetic scaffolds so we can come up with material that can interact at the nanolevel with living cells," Zanello said.
Editor's Note: The original news release can be found here


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Global Engagement
International students bring diverse languages, cultural backgrounds and distinct perspectives to the university. Are you a new international student hoping to connect with American peers? Do you want to understand more about U.S. customs and culture, or are you hoping for access to an open forum that encourages discussions on topics of interest to you? Are you looking to find mentors, language partners, learning communities or common interest groups? Do you want to have fun? You'll find all this and more through various programs and activities at Ole Miss.


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Michael Dobbs on Bosnia: Explaining evil or parroting cliches ?
Michael Dobbs of Foreign Policy and of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum (USHMM) appears upset at criticisms of his article 'In defense of the Serbs'. He had claimed that the international community in 1991-1992 had treated the Serbs in an unfair and contradictory manner, on the grounds that 'Croats and Muslims were given the right to secede from Yugoslavia, but Serbs did not have the right to secede from Croatia or Bosnia.' Responding to the accusation that he thereby 'legitimizes the aggression and genocide committed by Serbs', Dobbs has responded that 'to explain evil is not to justify it'.
Dobbs is simply putting forward a general principle, since he is incapable of responding to the concrete arguments. In my last response to Dobbs, I refuted his claim that the international community had treated the Serbs unfairly. I pointed out that Serbia was not treated differently from the other former-Yugoslav republics, in terms of its right to seek international recognition, and that the Serbs in Croatia and Bosnia were not treated differently from minority groups in other republics (e.g. Croats in Bosnia, Bosniaks in Serbia, Albanians in Macedonia) in terms of being denied the right to secede from their respective republics. Dobbs was unable to challenge this point.
Dobbs is right that 'to explain evil is not to justify it'. Unfortunately, he does not explain evil; he merely parrots the evil-doers' own excuse for the evil, taking it as face value. Had he said 'Serb nationalists opposed the international recognition of Croatia and Bosnia within their existing borders, and argued that the Serb minorities in these republics should have the right to secede from them', then he could have reasonably claimed to be explaining the Serb nationalists' point of view (or at least the point of view that they gave in public). But he went further than this, and effectively said that the Serb nationalists were right; that though they may have carried out the bulk of the atrocities, their view of the break-up of Yugoslavia was the correct one.
As has been suggested by bodies such as the Institute for the Research of Genocide Canada (IRGC) and Congress of North American Bosniaks (CNAB), this does not explain evil; it justifies it. Dobbs is claiming that the aggression and genocide unleashed by Serb leaders against Bosnia was merely a response – albeit an illegitimate and disproportionate one – to their legitimate grievances at the anti-Serb policy of the international community. As if the Serb leaders had not been planning or waging war and genocide prior to the international community's recognition of Croatian and Bosnian independence in late 1991 and early 1992, and would not have embarked upon this war and genocide if the international community had not treated them unfairly.
Thus, Dobbs claims that as a result of the international recognition of Croatia and Bosnia within their existing borders, 'The delicate ethnic balance sanctioned by the Great Powers after World War I and enforced by Marshal Tito (a Croat) in the four decades after World War II was upset.' As if this 'delicate ethnic balance' had not already been 'upset' by Belgrade's crushing of Kosovo's autonomy, raising of a Serb rebellion in Croatia, full-scale military assault on Croatia and destruction of the city of Vukovar ! All of this having occurred, of course, prior to the international recognition of Croatia or Bosnia.
Dobbs continues: 'To use a phrase attributed to the French statesman Talleyrand, leaving two million well-armed Serbs in other people's republics was "worse than a crime." It was a gross error of political judgment.' He is accusing the international community of being guilty of something 'worse than a crime' because it rejected Serb-nationalist demands to dismember Croatia and Bosnia. It is a statement that is erroneous at several levels. Croatia and Bosnia were not 'other people's republics'; Croatia was the state not only of the Croatian nation but of all its citizens and minorities, among which the Serbs were explicitly listed in the Croatian constitution; Bosnia was the common homeland of Muslims, Serbs, Croats and others. In the free elections of 1990, most Croatian Serbs voted for the Social Democratic Party of Croatia, which supported a sovereign Croatia, rather than the nationalist Serb Democratic Party. In Bosnia, too, although the great majority of Serbs voted for the Serb Democratic Party, significant numbers voted for non-nationalist parties that supported Bosnian unity. Dobbs speaks of 'two million well-armed Serbs in other people's republics', as if every single Serb civilian – woman, child, elderly, invalid, anti-nationalist, etc. – were 'well armed', and ready to burst spontaneously into armed action the moment Croatia's and Bosnia's independence were recognised. The very title of Dobbs's original post, 'In defense of the Serbs', is patronising and offensive; he is not defending 'the Serbs', but merely the Serb nationalist arguments. He certainly isn't defending the brave anti-nationalist Serbs who opposed the war and genocide: Bogic Bogicevic, Jovan Divjak, Gordana Knezevic and many others. I wonder if he even knows their names ?
Dobbs appears to treat as some sort of vindication, the fact that his commentary has offended Bosniak survivors along with Serb nationalists: 'Judging from the comments on this blog, I have succeeded in antagonizing champions for both sides.' One of the most consistently offensive aspects of the West's involvement in Bosnia, has been the propensity of even the most ignorant Western observers to feel they have the right to patronise the natives 'on all sides'.
I wonder if Dobbs would have been equally pleased with himself, if he had written something about the Holocaust that had succeeded in offending equally both Germans and Jews ? His argument about Bosnia is equivalent to saying 'Yes, the Nazis did start World War II and murder six million Jews and millions of Poles, Ukrainians, Gypsies and others, but on the other hand, the international community was wrong to have imposed the Treaty of Versailles that left millions of Germans in other people's countries – Czechoslovakia, Poland, etc. – so things are not really black and white, and Jews should try to understand the Germans' point of view.' Yet every student of German history knows that the Treaty of Versailles, and the 'unfair' borders imposed on the Germans, are not sufficient reasons to explain why the Nazis embarked upon total war and genocide.
To put it differently: Dobbs is right that Serbs had 'perfectly legitimate concerns' about how their rights would be protected in an independent Croatia or Bosnia. But people with 'perfectly legitimate concerns' don't normally slaughter tens of thousands of people in genocidal campaigns. Martin Luther King and the civil rights movement in the US had 'perfectly legitimate concerns' about the treatment of black Americans, but they did not organise a genocide.
Contrary to what Dobbs claims, I do not think he is an idiot; merely extremely naive. I do not think he is a 'Mr Bean'; merely that he has as little to say about the Bosnian war as Mr Bean had to say about the painting 'Whistler's Mother'. I am not familiar with his work in other areas; for all I know, he may be an excellent journalist. But I remain unable to comprehend how someone with so little knowledge and such a superficial understanding of the Bosnian war and genocide should be given so much space to write about them by Foreign Policy and the USHMM.
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text:
Future bleak for aging county bridges in Kansas
KANSAS CITY, Kan. — Kansas may have more problem bridges than such states as California and Illinois, but experts say that doesn't tell the whole story of a state filled with century-old rural spans that carry just a few vehicles every day.
According to Federal Highway Administration statistics from last year, Kansas had 347 bridges — out of more than 25,000 statewide — that were both rated in poor condition and lack the structural redundancies needed to guard against collapse. That compares with 302 in California and 189 in Illinois.
But most of those 347 bridges in Kansas are aging, county-owned spans. They are a reflection of an aging rural population that doesn't have the financial clout to keep the little-used roadways open.
"In the big counties, most of the population doesn't use those bridges — just farmers and people who live in rural areas," said Norman Bowers, local road engineer for the Kansas Association of Counties. "It's an issue of priority for the counties. Do you spend money to replace a bridge when only 10 people a day use it?"
A new Associated Press analysis of federally collected data identified 7,795 bridges nationwide that are both fracture critical and structurally deficient. The tally comes from data states submitted to the federal government's National Bridge Inventory.
Fracture critical bridges are at risk of collapse if a single, vital component fails. They often are truss bridges that were inexpensive to build and were adequate at the time they were constructed but weren't designed to handle large, modern farm equipment.
Structurally deficient bridges are in need of repair or replacement because at least one major component has advanced deterioration or other problems that led to them being deemed in poor condition or worse.
Calvin Reed, the Kansas Department of Transportation's chief bridge engineer, said most of the structurally deficient and fracture critical bridges in the state are in rural areas and not under state supervision. He estimated about 1 percent of state-owned bridges fall into both categories, but he said the state has adequate resources to address any safety concerns.
Among the state-owned bridges that concern KDOT the most are the Lewis and Clark Viaduct and the Fairfax Bridge, both of which carry traffic from Kansas City, Kan., across the Missouri River into Kansas City, Mo.
"Nothing about either of those bridges makes us feel the public is in danger," Reed said. "But we're watching them closely because they are old structures."
In eastern Kansas, Miami County engineer J.R. McMahon said many of his county's bridges were built nearly a century ago, when farm equipment wasn't much bigger than a full-size sport utility vehicle. As the bridges get older, they become "functionally obsolete" because they are too narrow to handle modern agricultural traffic, he said.
"We should have started replacing then in the '60s, '70s and '80s," McMahon said. "Fast forward to today, and we've gotten ourselves behind. These bridges are so old there will never be enough funds to replace all of them."
Even some bridges built in the 1940s and '50s are causing Miami County problems because they were built with uncoated steel that is susceptible to rusting. The county does a good job of putting down salt in the winter, he said, but that accelerates the deterioration of those bridges.
Instead of being replaced at a cost of $750,000 to $1.5 million, he said large rural bridges that carry an average of 20 to 50 cars a day are being closed. He said 10 such bridges probably will be closed in his county in the next 10 to 15 years.
"At the end of the day, this is where counties have to face it: you are going to close bridges," he said. "The funds are not available, and it's too massive of a project to get them all done."
Saline County engineer Neil Cable said his county has closed 38 bridges since 2007, mostly by moving from a one-mile section grid system to a two-mile section layout. With a 25-year bridge program and a budget of about $1 million annually to fix or replace bridges, Cable said his county is "down to what we need."
"Saline County had roads every mile in a grid-type pattern that intersected with a lot of creeks," he said. "Now the roads are every two miles."


text:
CRS: A User's Guide to the Congressional Record, May 6, 2008
From WikiLeaks
About this CRS report
This document was obtained by Wikileaks from the United States Congressional Research Service.
The CRS is a Congressional "think tank" with a staff of around 700. Reports are commissioned by members of Congress on topics relevant to current political events. Despite CRS costs to the tax payer of over $100M a year, its electronic archives are, as a matter of policy, not made available to the public.
Individual members of Congress will release specific CRS reports if they believe it to assist them politically, but CRS archives as a whole are firewalled from public access.
This report was obtained by Wikileaks staff from CRS computers accessible only from Congressional offices.
For other CRS information see: Congressional Research Service.
For press enquiries, consult our media kit.
If you have other confidential material let us know!.
For previous editions of this report, try OpenCRS.
Wikileaks release: February 2, 2009
Publisher: United States Congressional Research Service
Title: A User's Guide to the Congressional Record
CRS report number: 98-265
Author(s): Mildred Amer, Government and Finance Division
Date: May 6, 2008
- Abstract
- The Congressional Record is a substantially verbatim account of remarks made during the proceedings of the House and Senate, subject only to technical, grammatical, and typographical corrections. It consists of four main section: the proceedings of the House and Senate, the Extension of Remarks, and the Daily Digest.
- Download


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King, Rufus
King, Rufus, 1755–1827, American political leader, b. Scarboro, Maine (then a district of Massachusetts). He served briefly in the American Revolution and practiced law in Massachusetts before serving (1783–85) as a member of the Massachusetts General Court. He was (1784–87) a delegate to the Continental Congress, where he helped draft the Ordinance of 1787 and was chiefly responsible for the exclusion of slavery from the Northwest Territory. At the Federal Constitutional Convention (1787), he was an effective supporter of a strong central government and helped to secure Massachusetts's ratification of the Constitution. Moving to New York City, King was elected to the state assembly and was chosen (1789) as one of New York's first two U.S. Senators. He strongly supported Alexander Hamilton's financial measures and later defended Jay's Treaty. As minister to Great Britain (1796–1803) he reconciled many differences between the two countries and proved himself an able diplomat. He was the unsuccessful Federalist party candidate for Vice President in 1804 and 1808 and for President in 1816. From 1813 to 1825 he again served as U.S. Senator. Although at first an opponent of the War of 1812, he later came to support the administration's war measures. King opposed the Missouri Compromise and advocated solving the slavery problem by emancipating and colonizing blacks outside the country on the proceeds of the sale of public lands. In 1824 he declined reelection but was again minister to Great Britain (1825–26). Charles King (1789–1867) was his son.
See C. King, ed., The Life and Correspondence of Rufus King (6 vol., 1894–1900, repr. 1971); biography by E. H. Brush (1926); study by R. Ernst (1968).
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2023, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.
See more Encyclopedia articles on: U.S. History: Biographies


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Some 100 American Eagle clothing stores may not need greeters anymore: Soon they'll be saying a different kind of hello on your smartphone, advertising the latest deals.
On Thursday, the retailer announced a partnership with Shopkick, a company that makes a transmitter that can communicate with smartphones using Bluetooth low energy signals. To go with it, Shopkick also makes a mobile shopping companion app for iPhones and Android devices.
For people who have the app installed on their smartphones, participating American Eagle stores will now detect when customers walk through the entrance by using shopBeacon transmitters that have been placed in some of their most high-traffic stores in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and other cities.
The integration has several pieces. The beacon that Shopkick makes is built on top of Apple's iBeacon protocol, a new technology designed to extend the basic location services in certain iOS devices. Over the past several months other major retailers such as Macy's and Apple's own stores have announced similar rollouts using the technology. American Eagle's project marks the largest iBeacon deployment for a clothing retailer.
The trial project is designed to increase American Eagle's sales and potentially give the retailer more data about how customers shop in its stores. The app that Shopkick makes could help generate those sales: It's designed to alert customers to location-specific discounts and free rewards while they're shopping inside stores that have linked up with it.
Meanwhile, "this trial is designed to deliver the most data and learning on how consumers enjoy shopBeacon," Redwood City, Calif.-based Shopkick said in its announcement.
As far as what type of data might be collected from consumers, a spokesman for Shopkick said the company only shares with retailers aggregated information about shoppers' activity, such as how many people have walked into a store, and no data about individuals. The goal of data collection, he said, is "to help retailers understand how Shopkick positively impacts business metrics and to create a better shopping experience for customers."
American Eagle's integration comes as more brick-and-mortar retailers are trying out technologies to learn about how customers shop. With that information, the idea is that retailers could make inventory changes, or adjust the layouts of their stores, if they could get big data showing that certain areas receive more shopper attention than others.
At the moment, American Eagle probably is not able to go that deep. Shoppers are only alerted to deals and product recommendations when they walk through the front door. In the future, the retailer could add sensors in each department and offer more localized deals. Then, offers for jeans could appear on people's smartphones when they're near the jeans rack, Shopkick said.
Another factor that could limit the trial's usefulness for American Eagle is that shoppers need to have the Shopkick app installed on their phones for the beacons to wake the app up when they walk through the front door.
In spite of those limitations, American Eagle's project is yet another rollout in a hot emerging market known as location-based marketing or indoor mapping. Besides Shopkick, other app makers, analytics companies and beacon makers have sprung up with products of their own.
Still, privacy issues could put a crimp in retailers' plans. In American Eagle's case, customers need to give permission for the app to use their current location and send push notifications. But other retailers can be more devious, such as by using basic Wi-Fi signals on people's phones to track where they are. Last year, Nordstrom ended a Wi-Fi-based experiment after receiving negative feedback from customers.
American Eagle's trial kicks off next month.


text: The Volt meter clock continues our recent slew of interesting clock projects. Though considerably easier to read than the resistor clock, it is in the same frame of mind. Set up to look like the face of an analog volt meter, it almost looks like something official or scientific. Since [Jon] couldn't simply drop a clock mechanism in, he used a PIC microcontroller. The circuit is pretty simple, but he deserves some credit just for the unique layout.


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December 16th, 2013
New Zealand woos 'Avatar' and more news to note
Today's talk you might've missed:
New Zealand reportedly really, really wants the "Avatar" sequels to film in their country. According to the New York Times, the nation's taxpayers will pay 25 percent of the budget for the three sequesls in exhange for the production bringing jobs there. Those "Avatar" films aren't cheap so we suspect that's some serious coin. [New York Times]
Calm down people. Miley Cyrus says she was just hugging her friend. She sorta said via her Twitter account that she's not dating rapper French Montana. [E! Online]
Yet another reason to love Justin Timberlake: He served as wingman for a concert goer who wanted to propose at his Louisville, Kentucky concert. We wanted to scream as loud as the audience did it was so sweet! [People]
It's so refreshing when celebs fess up immediately over those pesky nude photos that show up on the Internet. Disney star Dylan Sprouse, we salute you sir! [Us Weekly]
The "22 Jump Street" trailer with Channing Tatum, Jonah Hill and Ice Cube is here (be warned it's NSFW exactly). So enjoy that:
About this blog
Our daily cheat-sheet for breaking celebrity news, Hollywood buzz and your pop-culture obsessions.


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April 9th, 2012
Cee Lo's cat Purrfect racks up Twitter followers
She showed up seemingly out of nowhere at the start of this season of "The Voice."
There she was, perched in judge Cee Lo Green's arms whenever he spoke to the camera about the auditions for his team: a cat named Purrfect.
Soon, Cee Lo's Twitter stream kept referring to Purrfect, who, it turns out, also tweeted. Now, @PurrfectTheCat is approaching 50,000 Twitter followers.
The clever missives from this feline companion have now spun off a website on NBC.com, where Purrfect fans are encouraged to print out a photo of the cat and tweet their photos with her.
So what's the real story behind Cee Lo's new furry friend?
"Purrfect is a rented cat that happens to be a rescue," according to a source who spoke to E! Online. "It was Cee Lo's idea to have a cat this season; however, due to his travel schedule, he is not able to care for an animal full-time. Cee Lo liked the idea of working with a rescue as he loves animals."
Purrfect hasn't shown up just yet since the live shows have begun, but we have a feeling we'll see her again on Monday night's show.
Have you been tuning in to "The Voice" just to catch a glimpse of Purrfect? Let us know in the comments.
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About this blog
Our daily cheat-sheet for breaking celebrity news, Hollywood buzz and your pop-culture obsessions.


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Submissive Urination
Submissive urination can be a problem for guardians, but keep in mind, that in dog language the dog is doing everything he can to convey the message "I am no threat."
The problem usually disappears as dogs mature, gain confidence and become comfortable in their surroundings. It is very important that you DO NOT PUNISH the dog. Submissive urination is a separate issue from housetraining.
Submissive urination is likely to occur when:
- the guardian comes home and greets the dog with lots of attention
- the dog is disciplined
- the dog is a somewhat anxious, shy or timid dog
- the dog has a history of receiving punishment after the fact
- the guardian is arguing with another human
- guests greet the dog on the guardian's territory
Here is what you can do if your dog has a submissive urination problem:
- NEVER CORRECT or PUNISH a dog that urinates submissively. Just avoid eye contact and ignore the dog. You need to help build the confidence of your dog.
- Go to your veterinarian to ensure there is not an underlying medical condition.
- Clean up the urine with a product designed to remove companion animal odors and stains, such as Simple Solution®. Ignore your dog while you are cleaning up the urine.
- Enroll your dog in an obedience class that utilizes positive reinforcement. Practice training for five to ten minutes each day. You can offer him cues that he knows during times when he is likely to submissively urinate. When he responds correctly you can reward him. This will give him something to do besides urinate and will help build his confidence.
- Vigorously exercise your dog for at least fifteen minutes twice a day.
- Avoid long affectionate departures and arrivals. When arriving home acknowledge your dog with a soft hello. Then avoid eye contact and ignore the dog for the next 15 minutes. When you and your dog are calm, get down on the dog's level and softly call the dog to you. Let your dog approach you. Avoid approaching him with postures that he reads as dominant.
- Avoid direct eye contact. Look at his back or tail. Pet under the chin instead of on top of the head. Present the side of your body rather than your full front.
- Ask guests to ignore the dog when they first enter your home. After they have been in the home for a short period of time, they may greet the dog in the same manner described above.


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Low Cost Galvanized Steel Structural Warehouse with Life 50 Years
Basic Info
Model No.: D-157
Product Description
Model NO.: D-157
Usage: Warehouse, Workshop, Storage Shed
Customized: Customized
Components: Steel Column, Steel Beam, Steel Secondary Parts
Installation Guidance: Yes
Structure Joint Type: Bolt Joints
Cladding Material: Steel Color Sheets/ Sandwich Panels
Wind Resistance: up to 180km/H
Transport Package: Loaded in Containers
Origin: China
Material: Steel Structure
Certification: ISO, CE, BV
Steel Grade: Q235, Q345
Finish: Painted or Galvanized
Service Life: 50 Years
Building Type: Prefabricated Steel Structure
Seismic Resistance: 9 Points
Trademark: Sinoacme
Specification: can be customized
HS Code: 9406000090
Low cost galvanized steel structural warehouse with life 50 years :
Space frame is effective and durable structure for both small and large span buildings. Formed by steel pipes welded or bolted together on welded or bolted joint balls, the frame has excellent aseismic performance and can resist the shock caused by an uneaven settlement of the foundation. When used as large span structure, the steel space frame can adequately exert the strength of steel material and save budgets.
Low cost galvanized steel structural warehouse with life 50 years :
1. Lower Environmental Impact
Steel is one of the most sustainable construction materials. Its strength and durability coupled with its ability to be recycled, again and again, without ever losing quality, make it truly compatible with long term sustainable development.
2. Cost Effective and Quick to Build
Construction is quick and simple with the tugela steel portal frame system components. This means high quality results anywhere, using low-cost, low-skilled labour and shorter timeframes.
3. Strong and Design-flexible
Steel's inherent strength enables architectural and design flexibility
4. Durable and Safe
Exceptional resistance to fire, corrosion and pests, portal frame steel buildings are the first choice for extreme environmental conditions. Because steel doesn't need treating with pesticides, preservatives or glues, it's also safer for people handling and living or working around it.
5. Environmentally Friendly
Steel portal frame structures last longer, are light and easy to transport and create minimal raw material waste. At the end of its long life, steel can also be fully recycled.
6. Speed of Erection
Steel structures can be erected quite rapidly. This normally results in quicker economic payoff.
7. Repetitive Use
Steel can be reused after a structure is disassembled.
8. Quality of Construction
Steel structures can be built with high-quality workmanship and narrow tolerances.
9. Adaption of Prefabrication
Steel is highly suitable for prefabrication and mass production.
10. Ease of Repair
Steel structures in general can be repaired quickly and easily.
11. Fatigue Strength
Steel structures have relatively good fatigue strength.
Low cost galvanized steel structural warehouse with life 50 years :
|Material List for this Product
|Anchor bolts
|Steel Frame + steel sheet
|H section steel
|Roof cladding
|EPS Sandwich Panel
|Tubular pillar
|PU Sandwich Panel
|Lattice column
|Rockwool Sandwich panel
|Cross column
|Corrugated steel sheet
|Box column
|Skylight panel
|H section steel
|Lattice beam
|Wall cladding
|EPS sandwich panel
|Pipe truss
|PU sandwich panel
|Space frame
|Rockwool sandwich panel
|Roof purlin
|C section steel
|Corrugated steel sheet
|Z section steel
|Decking floor
|Wall purlin
|C section steel
|Checkered steel plate
|Tie bar
|Steel pipes
|Fiber glass wool
|Roof bracing
|Angle steel
|High strength bolts
|Steel pipes
|Common bolts
|Column bracing
|Angle steel
|Expansion bolts
|Steel pipes
|Pulling strap
|Steel round bar
|Steel pipes
|Knee bracing
|Angle steel
|Down pipe
Sinoacme Steel Structure Plant and Processing Machine:
Advantages of Low cost galvanized steel structural warehouse with life 50 years :
I. Wide span: Single span or multiple spans, the max span can be more than 70 meters without middle column.
II. Low cost: Unit price range from USD30/sqm to USD80/sqm according to customers' request.
III. Fast construction and easy installation.
IV. Long using life: Up to 50 years.
V. Others : Environmental protection, stable structure, earthquake proofing, water proofing, and energy conserving.
About Sinoacme Steel Structure Co., Ltd:
Shandong Sinoacme Steel Structure Co., LTD established in the year 2004, located in Shandong - one of the developed province in China. After 11 years sustainable development, Sinoacme has become one large modern enterprise which specializing in the designing, fabrication, exporting and engineering installation on varied kinds of steel structure projects.
Sinoacme has around 130,000 square meters plant area with 6 advanced production lines for steel fabrication. Different kind of structural steel parts like welded H beams (columns), cross shaped columns, lattice beams (columns), box columns, C section purlin, Z section purlin, steel pipe parts, special shaped components etc. are produced by more than 200 experienced workers with an annual production capacity of 70,000 metric tons. Sinoacme also has a professional technical team of more than 40 experienced engineers who are familiar with the architectural design, structural design, governments' codes, etc. for overseas markets. Sinoacme's technical team can help to design the structures of light steel gabled frames, commercial buildings, industrial platforms, pipe truss & space frames, petroleum pipe galleries and trestle structure for coal conveyors.
Sinoacme has acquired the ISO9001 quality management system certificate and ISO14001 environmental management system certificate. With inherent honesty and the goal of create one international well-known brand, Sinoacme has attracted customers from all over the world and our products have been shipped to more than 40 countries in Northern Asia, Middle East, Africa, Australia and Latin America.
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Our Advantages on Low cost galvanized steel structural warehouse with life 50 years :
1. Long History and Rich Experience in Steel Structure Industry:
We have more than 12 years' experience with steel structure manufacturing and steel building projects running. During the past 12 years we have done many steel structure projects both at home and abroad. Now our projects stand in more than 20 countries around the world.
2. Advanced Equipment and Professional Production Line:
More than 200 well-trained workers running the 6 steel structure production lines all year round to ensure the project finished on time. All equipment is up to standard and all the facilities are maintained periodically by professional technicians.
3. Wide Range of Steel Structure Products:
Our products almost include all kinds of steel structure buildings, such as light steel workshops and warehouses, heavy industrial steel structure buildings, steel commercial buildings, prefab houses, container houses, steel structure aircraft hangars, space frame and pipe truss roofs, and mining belt conveyor galleries.
4. Solid Design and Management Ability:
We have more than 20 experienced engineers who are familiar with the structure design and management procedures of all steel structure projects. There is a high-qualified, high-efficiency and professional technical team ready to find best solutions for you at any time.
5. Best Service and Qualified QC Management:
Every one of our marketing managers is well trained and willing to provide best services. And we have a strict standard for finished products testing, to ensure the quality of all our steel structures. Meanwhile we have also passed the ISO 9001 quality management system certificates.
Why choose Sinoacme Steel Structure Co., Ltd?
Pre-sale Services:
1. Consultant service
2. Primay design
3. Assist client to choose suitable construction plan
4. Price calculation
Sale Services:
1. Submission of support reaction data for foundation
2. Submission of construction drawing
3. Providing requirement of embedding
4. Construction Manual
5. Fabrication & packing
6. Delivery
After-sale Services:
1. Installation supervision
2. Instruction of using after installation completed
Sinoacme Steel Structure Packing & Delivery
(1) 100% QC inspection before shipment
(2) All frangible accessories will be protected by plastic papers and then packaged in wooden box;
(3) Delivery time: strictly performer based on contract;
Our excellent design team will design the steel structure workshop warehouse for you.
If you give the following information, we will give you an satisfactory drawing.:
Location: ______(country)
Dimension: Length______mm*width______mm* eave height ______mm
Wind load: _____km/h, or _____KN/m2
Snow load: ______mm(maximum thickness), or ______ KN/m2
Seismic zone: ______zone, or ______grade
Doors: height______mm*width______mm, ______ pcs
Windows: height______mm*______mm, ______pcs
Claddings: wall material: steel corrugated sheet with insulation, or sandwich panels: EPS, PU, Fiber glass wool
Sunlight panel on the roof?
Ventilator on the roof?
Gutter: yes or no?
Crane: yes or no? If yes, _____units, lifting weight ____T, and lifting height______mm
Brick wall: height_____mm
Contact us if you need more details on Steel Structure Warehouse. We are ready to answer your questions on packaging, logistics, certification or any other aspects about Steel Warehouse 、Galvanized Warehouse. If these products fail to match your need, please contact us and we would like to provide relevant information.
Product Categories : Steel Structure Workshops
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Office Safety & Security
More Categories in Office Safety & Security
- Home Security Kits & Systems
- Key Cabinets & Keytags
- Access Badges & Holders
- Locks
- Alarms & Detectors
- Cash Boxes & Money Handling
Office Safety and Security
The safety of your employees' information along with company profits rely on having the proper procedures in place. Sam's Club® carries the office safety and security items that you need for optimizing business processes and maintaining a safe environment for everyone who enters your location.
Access Badges and Holders
Access badges and holders ensure only authorized personnel enter specific areas throughout your facility. Proximity badges are an important part of security processes. Strong, durable holders prevent loss and help employees keep track of their access badges. Retractable ID card reels have secure clips that make it difficult for unauthorized persons to remove them and they also allow workers to keep their IDs attached to their clothing even if accidently snagged on furnishings or equipment.
Make sure events go smoothly with printed and write-in ID badges. Keep visitor passes available so all employees know when important clients and people from other facilities are on the premises. Add self-laminating pouches so visitors and workers don't have to worry about damaging their IDs.
Safe Money Handling
Keep money secure with cash boxes and money handling supplies. Coin sorters let cashiers countdown drawers quickly and efficiently. Keep a supply of coin wrappers and currency straps on hand for easier money handling and transporting when making deposits and adding cash to drawers. Counterfeit bill detector pens protect your company and ensure all bills are legitimate.
Alarms and Detectors
Provide a safe environment throughout the workplace with alarms and detectors. Mirrors make sure employees can see around corners and in hard-to-see areas. Visitor chimes allow everyone to know when someone enters the facility, even when handling tasks in back rooms and offices.
The selection of key cabinets and other safety and security measures at Sam's Club makes it easy to keep your offices and cash register areas safer. From access badges to security mirrors and metal detectors, there are options available for a safe work environment to fit just about any budget.


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The absolute weirdest video of noted weirdo Shia LaBeouf has been uploaded to YouTube and you must see it right now. It's only 29 seconds long, and Shia's only in it for less than half of that but, oh boy, does he leave an impression.
What happens is a motorcyclist wearing a GoPro pulls up to a red light. In the lane next to him, and in the corner of the screen, a motorist's arm can be seen. The biker turns his head and who's there but Sam Witwicky himself, giving the most intense and awkward stare-down ever accidentally recorded on video. He has an expression that says something like "I'm fully prepared to kill you"? Or maybe even "let's hate-f*ck?"
Nothing comes of the incident but it sure leaves a lot of questions, mainly, what the f*ck was going on there? A girl is with Shia in the passenger seat of his truck, laughing, so maybe they were just screwing around? I'm more inclined to believe that seeing men on motorcycles hits Shia's "Man" button, which Lainey has described before. The fight with Alec Baldwin, the bar brawls, the locker room talk about Megan Fox, all this guy's drama seems to be rooted in the same He-Man complex garbage.
Not to make this about myself but as a gay guy I find Shia's ideas about masculinity so absurd. A long time ago I came to understand that I can still consider myself a "man", whatever that means, while moisturizing my elbows to Kate Bush songs and that none of that macho bullsh-t is real. Maybe because Shia LaBeouf is straight, and because he's grown up in an industry where gender stereotypes are constantly reinforced, he's never had to learn what the rest of us figure out pretty quickly about our own sex? Then again, lots of actors spend their lives in Hollywood without trying to out-bro strangers at intersections. You don't see Elijah Wood pulling this sh-t. You don't see Ron Howard measuring his dick on Melrose.
The other thing I'm left wondering is what crazy sh*t Carrie Mulligan saw when she was with this guy and is she crazy by association?
Attached – Shia at the hardware store yesterday.


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The Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) is in self-preservation mode. After years of using special tax incentives and subsidies to lure favored businesses to Michigan, the highly paid leadership of this quasi-state department must now contend with a changing of the guard. In November 2002, Michigan citizens will elect a new governor. Will that new governor be as favorably predisposed to the MEDC's questionable programs as is the present administration?
The MEDC is not taking a wait-and-see approach. The agency's top bureaucrats are promoting themselves to help ensure their own political survival. For instance, the MEDC recently released a brochure of its "2002 Corporate Objectives." The brochure listed, "Ensure the Continuity of the MEDC" as its number-one objective. In other words, the bureaucrats at Michigan's "department of jobs" have made protecting their own jobs their number-one priority in 2002.
The MEDC is also running a series of self-aggrandizing radio advertisements through the 2001-02 fiscal year. The fiscal year ends on Oct. 31, 2002, just days before the next election. The MEDC is spending $850,000 to produce and run the ads which all underscore the importance of the MEDC in general, or what it has meant to specific entrepreneurs.
For instance, of the 16 MEDC advertisements that the Mackinac Center for Public Policy has obtained through the Freedom of Information Act, all contain the following introductory remarks:
"The Michigan Economic Update is presented by Michigan Economic Development Corporation, the number-one driving force behind business growth in Michigan" (emphasis added).
So the MEDC believes that thousands of Michigan entrepreneurs who risk their own money bringing products to market, who meet payroll, jump through state-mandated regulatory hoops, and pay taxes to support bureaucracies such as the MEDC are a secondary force in Michigan business development?
In addition, every advertisement concludes with this statement:
"The Michigan Economic Development Corporation is in the business of helping businesses grow and succeed. They can give your business an edge, provide you with expert help on workforce training, recruiting skilled workers, and corporate tax strategies. The experienced staff at the Michigan Economic Development Corporation can help you cut through red tape that can save time and money. Plus, their services are free" (emphasis added).
Free? Since fiscal year 1999-2000 the MEDC has received more than $244 million in General Fund/General Purpose (GF/GP) dollars-tax money taken from the people of Michigan, including both those businesses who receive MEDC favors and those who merely foot the bill for their competitors who receive those favors. The General Fund is a fund in the Michigan budget over which politicians have the most discretion. This figure does not include the money that is received by the MEDC from the federal government and other sources. Much to the governor's credit, his 2003 fiscal year budget recommendations for the state call for a 23 percent reduction in GF/GP spending on the MEDC.
It is important to underscore that entrepreneurs who do not receive special favors from the MEDC must compete directly against those who do. One MEDC advertisement features John James, CEO of the James Group, a trucking company based in Wayne County. It has received more than $700,000 in assistance from the state for job training and help in creating a new railroad spur. But other taxpaying companies who do not receive these advantages (but pay the taxes that support MEDC activities) are not so fortunate. (You can listen to this MEDC radio spot in either the Windows MediaPlayer or Apple QuickTime format.)
One of the most fundamental principles of sound economic policy is that everything has a cost. In order for the government to create anything-such as a new railroad spur-it must take resources that would have gone toward something elsewhere. Whatever is spent by the state to improve the business climate of one entrepreneur must be taken from consumers and other businesses who would otherwise save, invest, and consume in a way that made their individual lives better; and that includes investing in new, efficient operations of other businesses.
The fatal conceit of MEDC bureaucrats is that they believe they possess such superior knowledge that they are equipped to know which businesses are worthy of special tax breaks and incentives and which are not. But only the market-that is, free people voluntarily choosing to patronize companies they believe provide the best products or services-can truly determine economic "winners" and "losers." It is to be hoped Michigan's next governor will recognize that average, everyday consumers pursuing their own preferences and interests are quite capable of driving economic development without the centralized planning directives of highly paid political appointees who seem to have no clue about the workings of a modern market economy.
The Mackinac Center for Public Policy is a nonprofit research and educational institute that advances the principles of free markets and limited government. Through our research and education programs, we challenge government overreach and advocate for a free-market approach to public policy that frees people to realize their potential and dreams.
Please consider contributing to our work to advance a freer and more prosperous state.


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Although uncommon, an entirely different group of factors plays a role when an athlete suffers a stroke.
Head and neck trauma are often factors in stroke during athletic competitions. Direct head trauma can result in leakage from blood vessels, depriving large regions of the brain of necessary nutrients.
Violent forward and backward movement of the head can result in tearing the inner lining of vital arteries responsible for directing blood to the brain. This condition, known as arterial dissection, can form a clot within the affected blood vessel or become a source of small clots. These smaller clots often move toward the brain as emboli and block other arteries.
Treatment for arterial dissection involves the use of blood thinning medications and avoiding violent collision sports.
Another common risk factor for stroke in athletes is the existence of a patent foramen ovale (PFO). A PFO is a hole between the upper chambers of the heart, the right and left atria. The foramen ovale forms in the fourth week of embryonic development and should close in the first three months after birth. When it does not close, it is considered patent or open.
This abnormal channel allows direct passage of blood clots to the brain. These clots often originate in the legs and may result from immobilized lower extremities.
PFOs can be treated with equal success by surgical closure or blood thinning medications. Athletes appear to do better with surgical closure and usually make a full recovery to return to sports.
While considered rare, strokes do occur in athletes and treatment requires a different approach.


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Fatalii Yellow MM seeds
10-12 seeds per pack
Not Guaranteed
All sales are final
Shipping & returns
We ship orders within 36 hours. We offer shipping options with USPS, UPS, or DHL. You can choose between Priority, Express, and Ground rates. We offer a 100% customer satisfaction through exchange or refund.
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So….this is my official RE-blogging post.
I never UN-blogged er… un-plugged but for those of you reading this — 72 potential followers plus the "Random Fandom" out there— you know it's been awhile since I've written out here.
It's been so long that even the crickets have died. Ha.
In fact, I've been so embarrassed to go to my front page and get smacked by the fact that the very last time you heard from me legit was about six months ago…. at Christmas. I mean, what the what Lorretta?!?
So please bear with me as I just write and spill this…. off the top of my heart and (mostly) unedited.
Q: Did I stop writing?
A: Goodness, no.
Q: Do I have nothing more to write?
A: I am SELDOM silent within and God's voice is never (thankfully) silent within me.
Q: What's going on?
A: More than I can say at this very moment but more will be shared soon.
Truthfully, I have written GOBS of stuff for various reasons other than this. There was a women's retreat back in February that consumed a good bit of my writing and prayer preparation. Then there's this MAJOR application that required pages and pages from me and to be honest… the micro-inspection and reflection of it all sucked me dry for awhile.
Add that to the daily do of the Daily Do, many home repair projects, some sudden and unplanned for interruptions (not all bad), and this palatable and weighty shame of neglecting my writing space… and well, I just didn't know where or how to begin again.
And I MUST confess here and now that what little creative energy I've had over these many months got swallowed up in mindless moments spent on social media. Not all was completely mindless but I know there's only so much the "Insta-Snap-Face" life can offer in the way of depth and breadth. I realize I've been standing in the shallows throwing stones out across the deep –too weary or maybe afraid of getting caught up in the current.
I'm sorry.
This morning, while tidying up some stuff I heard from a sweet little person in my life who was letting me know that after a great deal of messing around, etc., during her quiet time this morning the Lord revealed to her that she *really* hadn't submitted her life to Jesus. So… just like that, she did. She turned. And she wanted me to know it.
So like her… just like that—I'm turning as well and I want you to know it. Turning back towards going deeper, stretching higher and reaching out with real meaningfulness to you, for my own soul and the glory of God.
One thing God revealed during this time was the HUGE difference between being a Kingdom Consumer and a Kingdom Producer. There is a lot of noisy muck and mud being slung around out here and I don't want to add to those conversations. I don't want to be another noisy gong.
Instead, stepping out of the shallows again, I hope to share this space with you in a way that seeks to produce Kingdom moments all around us as we make this journey together even while distances apart. I want to encourage you in your life to do the same….to every day, wake up expecting God to move and show us where He's at work, and then have the courage to pick up our cross to join Him there.
Thanks for being here, and for waiting on me.
Hang on though… it promises to be quite a ride!


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We are keenly aware of all the intricate details and chemistry challenges that go into bench-top research before a qualified lead molecule emerges. Your TimTec contract research team consists of experienced organic chemists located in Delaware, USA and at the prestigious Zelinsky Institute in Moscow, Russia.
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Bassett Furniture
With over a century of history, Bassett Furniture is one of the most recognizable brands in the country. Customers can find stylish, innovative home decor and furnishings for:
- Living rooms
- Dining rooms
- Bedrooms
The company specializes in customizable furniture, allowing store patrons to craft a unique look for any space.
Living Room
Bassett Furniture features all sorts of living room seating, from sofas to reclining armchairs. Most items come in either leather or fabric to allow for different tastes. Shoppers also find accent pieces, such as end tables, and storage-oriented decor like credenzas.
Finally, the store offers full living room collections. Putting together a cohesive style is easy with furniture packaged into coordinated sets.Dining Room
Though dining rooms tend to be fairly straightforward, Bassett Furniture still manages to give customers a lot of options. Tables are available in three shapes: round, rectangular, or square. Chairs come in any design imaginable, from counter-height bar stools to upholstered side chairs.Bedroom
Shoppers will discover extensive collections for master bedrooms and kids' rooms at Bassett Furniture. Since the store has both mattresses and frames, it's possible to buy everything you need for a fully decked out bed in one place. Other classic pieces, like nightstands, dressers, and changing tables, complete the ensemble.Rugs
Because there are so many ways to decorate a house, Bassett Furniture offers all kinds of rugs to tie a room together. To make picking the right piece easier, this retailer features a variety of patterns, colors, shapes, materials, and styles. The store even sells rug pads to keep mats in place and prevent skidding.Lighting
From the ceiling to the floor, Bassett Furniture has lighting fixtures covered. Chandeliers and other hanging lights look perfect in dining areas. Table lamps are great in living rooms or bedrooms, while floor lamps are useful in home offices.Decor
Bassett Furniture helps shoppers accessorize their homes with a diverse selection of decor. Wall art and decorative mirrors bring life to otherwise plain walls. Clocks bring a practical yet tasteful element to a space, and pillows freshen up sofas or armchairs.


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Microsoft and Google are each taking steps to extend the social networking capabilities in their search services, with the goal of making it easier to find or share useful results.
Bing search results will now include tips and recommendations from Foursquare users, Microsoft said in a blog post Wednesday, while Google is apparently testing a feature that lets users share a link in Google+ directly from their search results page.
The developments show the companies continuing to compete over how best to integrate social content with search. Bing continues to partner with existing social networks, while Google continues to build on its own.
Bing will display tips and recommendations shared publically to Foursquare about businesses or other locations relevant to a user's search query and location, Microsoft said. The search engine displays the Foursquare content in its social sidebar, which launched this spring. The tips and recommendations will be included in the "people who know" section, which doesn't require the Bing user to be signed in to his or her social networks.
"This is only the beginning of Foursquare integration," a spokesman said via email.
Also on Wednesday, industry watchers spotted Google testing a "share" button next to some search results that allows users to post the returned link to their Google+ profiles. Screen shots of the feature were posted to Twitter by a search marketing specialist in the U.K. and reported by Search Engine Land.
The feature would also allow users to comment on the links they share through a small pop-up window that appears on the results page when the "share" link is clicked.
The "share" button would apparently replace the "+1" button currently included with Google search results. The "share" feature would display the content more prominently on a person's Google+ profile. It apparently sends the link to a user's main content stream, whereas the +1 feature sends it to a list of +1 content in the Google+ user's profile.
Bing said its Foursquare integration began rolling out Wednesday, and will reach all U.S. users in a few months.
Google did not immediately respond to a request to comment.
Cameron Scott covers search, web services and privacy for The IDG News Service. Follow Cameron on Twitter at CScott_IDG.


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In this article, you are going to learn about an excellent design by interior designers that is famous now and widely used along with some other modern interior designing styles. The interior designers in India are now opting for designs that are offbeat and cheesy. Here are a few areas where you can add your innovation:
This style was popular right from the beginning. With time and age, this style has undergone transformation and now fused with other styles, but the basic idea remains the same. That is, using plants to decorate the house. Plants like Bonsai and dwarf trees can be used to decorate the house because you can keep them indoors, and they don't need the sunlight more than once or twice a week. You can keep round stones around the trees, inside the tubs, or add sea-shells, which enhance the look and feel even more.
Tuscan is all about being colorful and lively. Colorful walls, colorful furniture, oil paintings, everything that is vibrant is Tuscan. This beautiful interior design originated in Italy and is famous all over the world. You may not even need to change the furniture completely; just painting a few things does the trick, always pick deep colors when going Tuscan.
The Asian style is all about open space. This style demands the center of the room be kept free of any furniture and so it makes the room look spacious and airy and bigger than it actually is.
The contemporary style is all about fusing deep and bright colors with art. For example, you can keep the three walls of your room painted in deep grey and put an orange piece of oil painting on the fourth wall. The furniture has to be edgy and firm. This look goes with the walls and the art well. The furniture has to be kept to the minimum to bring the beauty out of the room.
Casual Contemporary:
Casual Contemporary style demands soft pastel colors fused with art, instead of deep colors in the contemporary style of designing. You can keep the three walls of the room painted white and one wall bearing a huge portrait featuring modern art in deep and bright color. The furniture has to be plain white and steel or bearing as minimum color as possible. >
Design4m will offers a wide range of interior design services to meet any client's needs in Guirgaon and Delhi:
On-site consultations;
Project survey & analysis;
Space planning & furniture arrangement;
Design concepts;
Finishes & furnishings;
This article written by Devesh Rai behalf of Design Forum (Design4m), which provides the Architects in Delhi, Builders in Gurgaon, Interior Designers in Gurgaon with Turnkey Project.


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Every year, thousands of new gadgets emerge out of busy factories dotted along the eastern edge of the world: shrink-wrapped, matte or glossy, plastic armies marching to line the shelves of Best Buy and the warehouse floors of Amazon.
A hundred or so are worth talking about. A dozen or so we'll remember in a few year's time. A couple really matter. But only one is the most important gadget of the year. And it's up to you to pick it.
Here's how it works: You vote for the most excellent gadget in each bracket, and the winner moves on to the next round. Wash, rinse, repeat each day this week until we crown a champion, NCAA playoff-style. And just like March Madness, the gadgets are seeded (roughly) by where we expect them to fall—but the real fun's in the upsets.
iPhone 4S vs. Lacie Little Big Disk
The mighty iPhone against the fastest hard drive.
Chevy Volt vs. Nest Learning Thermostat
The most technologically badass car a regular person can buy up against the thermostat that learns what temperature you like.
Nook Simple Touch vs. Sonos Play 3
The most comfortable eReader versus the affordable audio lifechanger.
PlayStation Vita vs. Sharp Elite PRO-X5FD HDTV
Über-expensive handheld gaming system and the über-expensive TV.
iPad 2 vs. Wicked Laser Krypton
The only tablet allowed to look like a tablet against the super powered death laser.
Sony HMZ-T1 3DTV Headset vs. Asus Zenbook (2011)
The future (of looking nerdy) up against the affordable ultrabook.
Amazon Kindle Fire vs. Samsung 950 3D Monitor
The cheap iPad competitor and the best 3D display.
Nokia Lumia 800 vs. Grado PS500
Windows Phone's great Scandinavian hope takes on the junior varsity Grados.
Lytro Camera vs. Roku LT
Seriously unbelievable how the heck does this work wundercamera against the Apple TV-gunning Roku.
Samsung Galaxy Nexus vs. Wacom Cintiq 24HD
The Google flagship takes on the giant Wacom.
Galaxy Tab 10.1 vs. Verizon Samsung LTE Hotspot
The tablet that launched a thousand lawsuits against the best mobile internet hotspot.
Canon S100 vs. HP TouchPad
Canon's shiny new point and shoot fights HP's FIRESASLE TOUCHPAD.
Kindle 4 vs. Olympus PEN EP-3
The reigning champion of ereaders against the best Micro Four Thirds camera.
Fuji Finepix X100 vs. Samsung UND8000
Beauuuuuuutiful camera tries to out-beautiful beauuuuuuuuutiful TV.
Nintendo 3DS vs. Apple Thunderbolt Display
Glassesless 3D gaming against the Thunderbolt display that's basically a whole computer.
MacBook Air (2011) vs. Vaio Z (2011)
The best and prettiest low-profile laptop against its beefiest (and most expensive) challenger.
Join us every day this week as we—no, you—crown the most important gadget of the year, playoff style.


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I've made no secret about my disdain for business cards. In an age where we can swap photographs and movies in a matter of seconds wirelessly, why are we still fumbling with clumsy pieces of paper that are both easy to lose and environmentally unfriendly? Today, it looks like I might be eating my words (or, as the case may be, yours).
Enter MeatCards. Two weeks ago a number of blogs caught wind of this bizarre and potentially amazing creation, bringing meat and lasers together to create the most protein-rich business cards ever. Some thought it was a hoax. But it's very real.
I reached out to the guys behind MeatCards, and as luck would have it they were preparing for their first run of prototype cards (styled after the design from American Psycho, of course). So I sent in my information, and they printed out the prototype seen above. In the interest of preserving a shred of privacy, I'm blurred out a few digits from my phone number, Email, and our mailing address. But most of the text, like my name and the TechCrunch information in the upper right hand corner, hasn't been touched. Obviously the laser etching isn't quite perfect, but it mostly gets the job done. More samples below.
I haven't receieved my MeatCards yet, and thus have been unable to taste the goods for myself. But I have been assured that they should in theory be edible, albeit with a strange laser-burnt aftertaste. That said, the guys behind MeatCards seem to be interested in finding a way to mark the cards with "Do Not Eat" to make it clear that they don't want you to eat them – it just opens them up to too many possible legal problems and regulations. But they can't stop you from doing it.
So when can you order one for yourself? The product is still in the testing stages, but according to its homepage they should be going on sale some time soon. Make sure to check out this awesome Flickr set to see how it's done.
And for a more conventional business card, check out the cards Google is currently giving away.


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Casabella Wood Flooring
Looking for Wood Flooring?
Look no further than Casabella Wood Flooring.
About Casabella Wood Flooring
Casa Bella Fine Flooring Inc. is leading the hardwood flooring industry in
bringing high quality oil finishes to the United States marketplace.
Although these beautiful furniture grade finishes have been enjoyed in European Countries for over 30 years Americans have never been able to obtain flooring products with oil finishes without breaking the bank.
Due to the large demand for oil finishes in the best hotels and commercial locations, we are bringing trip trap oil to America. By merging the cost of Commercial Projects with Residential Projects we are able to make this finish affordable to the most discerning residential consumers as well.
Casa Bella Fine Flooring Inc. is managed by two visionary brothers Luke and Mark Steinmetz who after rigorously studying market trends have concluded that oil finishes are the next major phase in the hardwood flooring industry. Casa Bella has already positioned itself and began taking advantage of the incredible interest surrounding this new frontier in American flooring.


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That seems to be what the opera universe has to say about the skyrocketing career of Texas-born Latonia Moore, starring in the Dallas Opera's AIDA, opening for the first of six performances on October 26th. Hers is a story worthy of a Busby Berkeley or Frank Capra movie – minus the inevitable "Capracorn" – and it's captured in this terrific interview with Gregory Sullivan Isaacs for this month's issue of "ART+CULTURE" Magazine.
Read it right here.
(Photo by Dallas Kilponen)
Suzanne Calvin, Manager/Director Media & PR


text: "Seeking a Friend for the End of the World" stars Golden Globe Award winner Steve Carell and Academy Award nominee Keira Knightley and is the feature directorial debut of screenwriter Lorene Scafaria. Set in a too-near future, the movie explores what people will do when humanity's last days are at hand. As the respective journeys of Dodge (Mr. Carell) and Penny (Ms. Knightley) converge, the two spark to each other and their outlooks - if not the world's - brighten.


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LONDON (Reuters) - Researchers who have fought for years to get full data on Roche's flu medicine Tamiflu said on Thursday that governments who stockpile it are wasting billions of dollars on a drug whose effectiveness is in doubt.
In a review of trial data on Tamiflu, and on GlaxoSmithKline's flu drug Relenza, scientists from the respected research network the Cochrane Review said that while the medicines can shorten flu symptoms by around half a day, there is no good evidence behind claims they cut hospital admissions or lessen complications of the disease.
"There is no credible way these drugs could prevent a pandemic," said Carl Heneghan, one of the lead investigators of the review and a professor of evidence-based medicine at Britain's Oxford University.
The review's main findings were that the medicines had few if any beneficial effects, but did have adverse side effects that were previously dismissed or overlooked.
"Remember, the idea of a drug is that the benefits should exceed the harms," Heneghan said. "So if you can't find any benefits, that accentuates the harms."
Yet Roche, which has been under fire for several years over its refusal to allow the Cochrane team unrestricted access to Tamiflu data, rejected the findings, saying it "fundamentally disagrees with the overall conclusions" of their study.
"We firmly stand by the quality and integrity of our data ... and subsequent real-world evidence demonstrating that Tamiflu is an effective medicine in the treatment and prevention of influenza," it said in a statement.
Tamiflu sales hit almost $3 billion in 2009 - mostly due to its use in the H1N1 flu pandemic - but they have since declined.
The drug, one of a class of medicines known as neuraminidase inhibitors, is approved by regulators worldwide and is stockpiled in preparation for a potential global flu outbreak. It is also on the World Health Organization's "essential medicines" list.
The United States has spent more than $1.3 billion buying a strategic reserve of antivirals including Tamiflu, while the British government has spent almost 424 million pounds ($703 million) on a stockpile of some 40 million Tamiflu doses.
Heneghan's team say their analysis is the first based on full data - from 20 trials of Tamiflu, known generically as oseltamivir, and 26 trials of Relenza, also known as zanamivir.
At a briefing in London about their findings, Heneghan said the money spent on stockpiles "has been thrown down the drain" because, until now, the full data had not been seen by regulators, governments, doctors or patients.
"The original evidence presented to government agencies around the world was incomplete," said Fiona Godlee, editor of the British Medical Journal which has spearheaded a four-year campaign to force Roche to reveal all its Tamiflu data.
"And when they (the Cochrane review team) eventually received the full information on these drugs, the complete evidence gives a very much less positive picture."
But the European Medicines Agency (EMA) - which approved the drug for sale in Europe - disputed the claim they had not seen all the Tamiflu data.
Enrica Alteri, head of medicines evaluation, said EMA had seen and reviewed all 20 studies referred to in the review, and this new analysis did not raise any fresh concerns or alter the agency's assessment that Tamiflu's benefits outweigh its risks.
Wendy Barclay, a flu expert at Imperial College London with no links to the Cochrane Review or the drugs, said she still felt the benefits were worthwhile, particularly in a pandemic.
"If another pandemic came tomorrow, and the government had no drug with which to treat thousands of influenza infected patients, I imagine there would be a public outcry," she said.
The Cochrane review found that compared with a placebo, or dummy pill, Tamiflu led to a quicker alleviation of flu-like symptoms of around half a day (down from 7 days to 6.3 days) in adults, but the effect in children was more uncertain.
There was no evidence of a reduction in hospitalizations or in flu complications like pneumonia, bronchitis, sinusitis or ear infections in either adults or children, Heneghan's team said, and Tamiflu also increased the risk of nausea and vomiting in adults by around 4 percent and in children by 5 percent.
Godlee described the battle with Roche as a "really lengthy cat and mouse, Alice in Wonderland, bizarre experience of trying to get data on a drug which governments around the world were busy buying, stockpiling and spending billions of dollars on".
"Why did no-one else demand this level of scrutiny before spending such huge sums on one drug?" she said. "The whole story gives an extraordinary picture of the entrenched flaws in the current system of drug regulation and drug evaluation." ($1 = 0.6028 British Pounds)
Additional reporting by Ben Hirschler; editing by Tom Pfeiffer
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.


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AP: An influential Democratic senator threatened Thursday to block U.S. arms sales to Iraq if Congress doesn't get an assessment of Iraqi forces and assurances the weapons won't fall into the hands of extremist militants. In a testy exchange, Sen. Bob Menendez lashed out at senior State Department and Defense Department officials appearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee that he chairs.
The Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) — An influential Democratic senator threatened Thursday to block U.S. arms sales to Iraq if Congress doesn't get an assessment of Iraqi forces and assurances the weapons won't fall into the hands of extremist militants.
In a testy exchange, Sen. Bob Menendez lashed out at senior State Department and Defense Department officials appearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee that he chairs.
The New Jersey senator, who has previously held up the transfer of Apache helicopters to Iraq, said lawmakers haven't been informed about potential military assistance to Iraq or about its troops' capability to push back the growing insurgency by rebels calling themselves the Islamic State.
"You know, this committee has jurisdiction over arms sales," Menendez said. "And my reticence to arms sales to Iraq has in some respects been proven true when in fact we had much of our equipment abandoned and now in the hands of (Sunni extremists).
"So unless you are going to give us a sense of where the security forces are at, moving forward, this chair is not going to be willing to approve more arms sales so they can be abandoned to go to the hands of those who we are seriously concerned about in terms of our own national security."
The New York Times reported last week that a classified military assessment found it unsafe for Americans to advise Iraqi forces given their infiltration by Sunni extremist informants and Iran-backed Shiite militants. Nevertheless, the State Department's Brett McGurk told the House Foreign Affairs Committee on Wednesday that options being developed for Obama are becoming more concrete and specific.
Menendez asked McGurk and the Defense Department's Elissa Slotkin when the administration intended to advise Congress on what steps it is considering.
"We're still working through those," Slotkin said, cautioning the senator against using a "leaked half-report" as the basis for his understanding.
"Well, the absence of having information leads me to only publicly reported resources," Menendez shot back.
Slotkin then replied: "Our intent is to come and brief Congress at the time when we've piled through it ourselves."
Later, she addressed the military's assessment that the picture was mixed on whether Iraqi battalions were suitable for U.S. assistance.
"We're finding units where that's a problem," she said, without going fully into detail. "We're finding units where that's not a problem."
At the Pentagon, spokesman Col. Steve Warren said the Iraq assessment is ongoing. Officials, he said, are focused on pulling together the most accurate picture possible, not necessarily the quickest.
McGurk, a deputy assistant secretary of state for Iraq and Iran who spent the last seven weeks in Baghdad, said the U.S. was racing to improve its intelligence in Iraq. Iraqi security forces north of the capital are "trying to do some things to fight back" against the insurgency, suffering almost 1,000 casualties, he said.
McGurk also cited political progress in Iraq with the appointment last week of a new parliament speaker and Thursday's announcement of a new president.
Slotkin, a senior official for policy and international security, and McGurk clashed Wednesday with House members over questions of drone strikes, keeping Iraq whole and whether Washington should demand that Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki step aside.
The Iraqi government, which for months has sought greater air support and counterterrorism assistance, is growing concerned with Obama's and Congress' deliberations.
In a letter this week to Menendez, Lukman Faily, the Iraqi ambassador in Washington, cited increased suspicion that the Obama administration's policy demand to see Iraqi political reforms before providing more assistance was a "conscious strategy for doing nothing." And in a clear threat of closer cooperation with Iran, Faily said Iraq would have no reason to decline assistance from other countries if it concludes the U.S. isn't interested in helping.
"Baghdad is getting mixed signals about U.S. intentions, and regrettably, time is not on our side," Faily wrote.