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The document was a Justice Department white paper titled, "Lawfulness of a Lethal Operation Directed Against a US Citizen Who is a Senior Operational Leader of al-Qaeda or an Associated Force."
The use of the term "white paper" raised a red-flag as it appeared to be one of many documents first sought by Truthout under a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request last summer.
Sure enough, after plowing through hundreds of records requests we filed in 2012, we located the original FOIA. It was filed August 10, 2012 with several Justice Department offices, including the Office of Legal Counsel (OLC), which prepared numerous memos authorizing targeted assassinations, of which the white paper is based upon. It said:
I am seeking copies of all "white papers" [emphasis added] and/or PowerPoints, briefing memos, and/or policy summaries and/or policy papers that Department of Justice officials provided to members of Congress, specifically but not limited to the Senate and House Judiciary Committees, or any member of the Obama administration on the use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (commonly referred to as "drones") for the purposes of engaging in lethal force in other countries against terrorist targets. Additionally, I seek copies of all correspondence, which includes but is not limited to memos, letters and emails members of Congress sent to the Justice Department inquiring about the legal rationale behind the use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles for the purposes of engaging in lethal force against terrorist targets in other countries and/or the general use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles to hunt down terrorists. I request FOIA analysts use the following search terms: "targeted killing(s)" "targeted killing program," "targeted assassination program," "whitepaper," "Senator John Cornyn," "Senator Patrick Leahy." The timeframe for this request would be January 2010 through the present.
Truthout's FOIA request was filed immediately after investigative blogger Marcy Wheeler, who writes under the name Emptywheel, published a blog post about a congressional hearing where Sen. Patrick Leahy revealed that the Obama administration shared a targeted killing "white paper" with members of an oversight committee:
Leahy: I would note that each of the Senators has been provided with a white paper we received back as an initial part of the request I made of this administration.
Truthout sought expedited processing from the Justice Department's various agencies where the requests were filed.
The request for expedited processing was granted on August 23, 2012 and September 13, 2012 by DOJ's Office of Legal Counsel.
Because we filed our FOIA request with OLC and three other offices -Attorney General, Deputy Attorney General and Office of Legislative Affairs – which fall under the purview of the Justice Department's Office of Information Policy (OIP), the supervisory paralegal at OLC, Bette Farris, suggested we withdraw our request to OLC in order to avoid "potentially duplicative efforts and duplicative fees."
Farris explained in a September 20, 2012 email: "We expect that those [other] offices would have any responsive records that OLC would have."
In the interest of receiving responsive records in a timely fashion, Truthout agreed – with the caveat that we reserved the right to resubmit the request at a later time if we were not satisfied with the response from the other Justice Department components.
Six months passed and we still had not received any responsive records. Despite the Obama administration's high-minded claims that it has taken steps, "unprecedented in American history, to enhance transparency," it has failed to live up to that pledge when it pertains to the administration's national security policies.
So when NBC News reported on February 4 that it had obtained a copy of the targeted killing white paper – an unclassified document – just days before the scheduled nomination hearing for John Brennan, Obama's pick to lead the CIA – the agency that oversees the targeted killing program – Truthout spent the better part of a week trying to find out why our expedited FOIA request went unanswered and we were short-changed on a possible scoop.
Doug Hibbard, the deputy chief of the Initial Request Staff of OIP who supervises the handling of FOIA requests processed by OIP, told Truthout a day after NBC's report on the white paper was published: "We're searching for and making sure we find all tangential records" responsive to Truthout's request.
Hibbard would not specifically discuss why the white paper had not been turned over to Truthout. He noted, however, that some of the records we have requested are currently tied up in litigation between the ACLU and the Department of Justice. The ACLU has been seeking a wide range of documents from the Obama administration about the targeted killing program.
Hibbard said it would take about three months to finish processing our FOIA request. However, last Wednesday, New York Times reporter Charlie Savage revealed on Twitter that his colleague, Scott Shane, also filed a FOIA request for the targeted killing white paper in December with OLC and received a response on January 23, which said the document was being withheld under an exemption that protects "deliberative" records from disclosure. The New York Times has been engaged in a FOIA lawsuit against the government over its refusal to turn over the OLC legal opinion authorizing targeted assassinations of US citizens.
Truthout again contacted Hibbard. He said he could not comment on Shane's FOIA and the denial he received because Shane filed his request with a different Justice Department component, OLC. But he promised to look into it and get back to us.
Meanwhile, still determined to uncover why the unclassified white paper had not been turned over to Truthout, we filed FOIA requests with OIP for records that are known as processing notes, which provides FOIA requesters with insight into how their records requests are processed and handled by analysts and agency officials. [For an example, see these processing notes Truthout received related to the New York Times' FOIA request for the OLC legal opinion on targeted killings of US citizens.]
In addition to seeking the processing notes related to Truthout's FOIA request, we also filed one with OLC to determine how its analysts handled Shane's records request. Typically it takes several months to receive such records.
At the end of the day last Friday, Truthout received an email from OIP, along with two PDF attachments. It was the targeted killing white paper.
"The Department has determined that the enclosed document responsive to your request is appropriate for release … as a matter of agency discretion, "wrote OIP Director Melanie Ann Putsay, in a letter accompanying the document. "Please be advised that we are continuing our records searches in the Offices of the Attorney General, Deputy Attorney General and Legislative Affairs for additional material responsive to your request."
The white paper was identical to the one leaked to NBC News, except the one Truthout received was dated November 8, 2011 and was marked "draft." Hibbard did not respond to a voicemail message Truthout left at his office Wednesday as to why the white paper was released now.
But Steven Aftergood, director of the Project on Government Secrecy at the Federation of American Scientists, wrote at his web site, Secrecy News:
Obviously, the fact that the document leaked – and had already been read by most people who cared to do so – altered DOJ's calculation. The decision to cease withholding the document in light of its public availability displays some minimal capacity for reality-testing. To continue to insist that the document was protected and exempt from release would have been too absurd.
Aftergood filed a FOIA request for the targeted killing white paper on February 6, two days after NBC News wrote about it. OLC also reversed its previous decision and turned over a copy of the white paper to Shane, the New York Times, reporter, as well.
During his State of the Union address Tuesday evening, Obama made an apparent reference to the targeted killing program and promised to be more transparent with Congress, "the American people and the world" related to the "targeting, detention and prosecution" of terrorists.
"I recognize that in our democracy, no one should just take my word for it that we're doing things the right way," Obama said.
But the president's promise to be more transparent on national security matters "has little meaning," wrote Adam Serwer in Mother Jones, given that the administration has "consistently invoked the state secrets doctrine to block judicial scrutiny of Bush-era abuses and national security practices" and "has resisted efforts by civil libertarian groups to shed light on Obama administration policies such as targeted killing, calling them 'secret' even when they are public knowledge.
"When it comes to the Freedom of Information Act," Serwer added, "the Obama administration's promises of transparency have gone unfulfilled."
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Truthout is widely read among people with lower incomes and among young people who are mired in debt. Our site is read at public libraries, among people without internet access of their own. People print out our articles and send them to family members in prison — we receive letters from behind bars regularly thanking us for our coverage. Our stories are emailed and shared around communities, sparking grassroots mobilization.
We're committed to keeping all Truthout articles free and available to the public. But in order to do that, we need those who can afford to contribute to our work to do so — especially now, because we have just 7 days left to raise $45,000 in critical funds.
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He will be the first technology mogul to own a major U.S. newspaper, and The Post's success will hinge on how an Internet revolutionary tackles a company that still has to worry about printing presses and the price of ink.
( PHOTOS: Jeff Bezos's life and career)
Bezos is known as a unconventional thinker and someone who's willing to invest heavily in projects that take years to mature and develop. From starting Amazon.com in the garage of his Seattle-area home to revolutionizing the publishing industry with the Kindle electronic reader a few years ago, Bezos has shown a tendency to make bold moves in areas that no one sees coming.
The deal underscores the rise of technology companies in the new American economy, with Bezos — whose net worth is estimated at $25.2 billion, according to Forbes — snapping up a flagship of the old media world. Bezos could bring an entirely new sensibility, forged in building one of country's most successful Internet companies, to transforming a newspaper whose glory days exist in faded yellow clippings.
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Back in 2009, Amazon and The Washington Post teamed up for an e-commerce experiment, with the Post linking to Amazon's online store when books were mentioned in the newspaper's articles and reviews. (The Post got a portion of the revenue from the sales that resulted.)
( Also on POLITICO: Twitter primed after WaPo sale)
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Bezos, in an interview with the Post, called the newspaper "an important institution" and said change would be inevitable "with or without new ownership."
He added: "But the key thing I hope people will take away from this is that the values of the Post do not need changing. The duty of the paper is to the readers, not the owners."
Bezos by all accounts plays a hands-on role at Amazon.com and takes a data-driven approach to testing new features and concepts — qualities he may very well apply to overseeing the financially challenged newspaper.
( Also on POLITICO: Washington Post sold to Bezos for $250 million)
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Bezos began his business career at a hedge fund on Wall Street before deciding to drive cross-country to Seattle to launch what became Amazon in 1994. The company survived the dot-com collapse and expanded its retail offerings to become the dominant online store. The company introduced its first Kindle e-reader in 2007 and has also built a major business around cloud computing — offering companies on-demand Internet storage and processing power.
As the future new owner of the Post, Bezos's political leanings are likely to come under close scrutiny.
Like clockwork, the Amazon CEO has given $5,000 annually to his company's political action committee since 2000, for a total of $65,000, according to Federal Election Commission filings. Personally, his giving has tilted sharply to Democrats. He's donated $14,000 to the party's candidates in the last 15 years, with the majority going to Washington state's senators, Patty Murray ($5,800) and Maria Cantwell ($6,200). He's given $2,000 to Republicans — with a thousand each going to former Sens. Spencer Abraham (Mich.) and Slade Gorton (Wash.).
Bezos's political giving was relatively under the radar until last year, when he waded into the national debate over gay marriage, with he and his wife, MacKenzie, pledging $2.5 million to defend the state's gay marriage law at the ballot box.
Amazon as a company has seen its regulatory interests expand in Washington in recent years — from the government's e-book price-fixing case against Apple to the legislative battle over collecting taxes on Internet sales. President Barack Obama used an Amazon warehouse in Tennessee as a backdrop for a speech on middle-class jobs last week — highlighting the company's growing profile in the capital.
Michelle Quinn and Alex Byers contributed to this report.


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Brawn GP's inaugural 1–2 victory in Melbourne was no stranger to their engine supplier Mercedes-Benz: it was exactly the same fashion as how they debuted in Formula One in 1954 with their epic W196.
Like all great stories in motor racing, Mercedes's dominating debut is a story of timing, innovation and resurgence, with a healthy sprinkling of treachery on top. It began on a November day in 1953.
It was at the conclusion of the fourth season of Formula One, a mere eight years after the war situation in Europe had developed not necessarily to Germany's advantage. Dominated by Alberto Ascari in his tiny Ferrari 500, the young sport was about to go through its third major rule change in four years: the 1954 season would drop the Formula Two regulations in place for 1952 and 1953 and dictate a maximum displacement of 750 cc for supercharged engines and 2,500 cc for naturally aspirated ones.
Mercedes-Benz, on the heels of their successful victory with the 300SL Gullwing in the Carrera Panamericana, decided to enter Formula One. The old team which ruled the European Grand Prix Championship with the supercharged Silver Arrows was back. Team manager Alfred Neubauer—the man who invented pit signaling—returned with his hat, trenchcoat and stopwatches, while London-born technical director Rudolf Uhlenhaut was tasked with creating a new car from scratch, codenamed W196 R.
And what a car it turned out to be! The engine a straight-eight, fuel-injected, naturally aspirated 2.5-liter marvel, with power taken off at the middle of the crankshaft, running on a cocktail of benzol, methylene, gasoline, acetone and nitro. It was driven by desmodromic valves—only seen today on Ducati motorcycles—which enabled higher revs than allowed by 1950s springs. The whole assembly was canted 37º to the right to make for a lower hoodline and a smaller frontal area. The car was wrapped in sheets of Elektron, an ultralight and very flammable alloy of magnesium.
By the time Uhlenhaut's team was done, the 1954 season was already underway, with Juan Manuel Fangio racking up wins in the brand-new Maserati 250F. But the lure of the new Mercedes proved too hard to resist for the Argentine, and after winning two of the season's first three Grands Prix, Fangio swapped his Maserati for a seat in the W196. After a 15-year absence, the stage was set for Mercedes-Benz's debut on July 4 at the French Grand Prix, held at the ultra-fast circuit of Reims-Gueux.
Tweaking and testing continued even after Fangio and teammate Karl Kling—who had taken a vulture through the windshield of his 300SL Gullwing two years before in Mexico at 130 MPH—secured the first two positions in qualifying. Fuel consumption was higher than expected, and in a wonderful move, technical director Uhlenhaut hopped in his own Gullwing and raced it all the way to team headquarters in Stuttgart to have expanded fuel tanks manufactured overnight for the W196's. No vultures were encountered on the Autobahn and at 2:45 the next afternoon, off went Fangio and Kling to begin the 300-mile race.
It was a massacre. The streamlined cars outpaced the rest of the field by 4 seconds a lap. As Fangio took the checkered flag half a car length ahead of Kling, they were the only two cars on the leading lap. Two Maseratis, two Ferraris and a lone Gordini driven by Jean Behra limped in long after them, the rest of the field decimated in the grueling race.
Incidentally, it was on this very day that Germany's national squad beat what was perhaps the greatest football team ever in the finals of the 1954 World Cup: the Hungarian Aranycsapat, stopped in its tracks after an unbroken string of 33 wins.
The W196 would go on to win 8 of the next 11 races it was entered in. The streamlined body was replaced with an open-wheel version for the more technical circuits, and a young Stirling Moss joined Fangio for the 1955 season.
Mercedes-Benz also entered the car in sports car racing as the 300SLR, with an engine bored out to 3 liters, producing 300 HP. This was the car that carried Stirling Moss to his famous victory in the Mille Miglia—and which, a few weeks later, got catapulted into the crowd at Le Mans, where it became all too clear just how flammable that Elektron chassis was. Over eighty people perished in the flames, including racing driver Pierre Levegh.
The accident spelled the end of the W196 and its brethren. Neubauer withdrew the 300SLR's from the lead several hours after the accident. At the end of the season, with Fangio claiming the Formula One World Championship in the W196 and the team taking the World Sportscar Championship in the 300SLR, Mercedes-Benz withdrew completely from motor racing.
Fangio would become World Champion two more times. His victories came in cars he had defeated in his Mercedes: the Lancia-Ferrari D50, and for his final championship in 1957, the very Maserati 250F he had abandoned three years previously for the W196.
The 300SLR lived on as Rudolf Uhlenhaut's daily driver. It was made into a street-legal coupé which Uhlenhaut commuted to work with.
A hyper-Gullwing, capable of reaching speeds of 180 MPH in a sad, gray, post-war Europe, blasting down empty highways at warp speed, forever chasing a racetrack it would never set wheels on again.
On the other hand, it must have made for a memorable childhood for Uhlenhaut's son Roger:
Photo Credit: Daimler AG, Autocar


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Sold Out
NOTES: We will give a FREE "ONI-ISLAND" bandana to any customers who purchase a "ONI-ISLAND" denim and tee at the same time. (While stock lasts)
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With the major buttoned up (i.e. the top button) open the jeans and lay them flat, like shown. Measure from the front where the major button closes to the back belt loop. Double this measurement to find the waist measurement.
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Spread out the crotch so the bar tack is visible, then measure from the crotch to the top of the waistband.
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Flatten the leg and measure along the inseam from the crotch to the leg hem.
Measure straight across the hem from side to side.
Lay flat then measure from the shoulder's edge to the other shoulder's edge.
Lay shirt flat and measure from pit to pit.
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A Glaring Omission
I forgot to post this the other day. The new Rbk EDGE uniform system is coming to a rink near you this summer as all NHL and AHL teams will be wearing the new uniforms. Despite the eyesores that the All-Star jerseys were, I suspect the new NHL jerseys will be somewhat better, although you can be sure that a fourth installment of "You're Wearing That?" will feature the new NHL and AHL jerseys.
In any case, I forgot to post this little piece of info the other day.
"ARLINGTON, Va. – The Washington Capitals will unveil their new uniforms at a special Draft Day Party on Friday, June 22, held at the Kettler Capitals Iceplex in Arlington, Va. The event will be held in conjunction with the live broadcast on Versus of the first round of the 2007 NHL Entry Draft, which takes place that evening in Columbus, Ohio.
The new uniforms will mark a return to a red, white and blue color scheme – the colors the Capitals wore from their first season in 1974-75 through 1994-95. The Capitals are the first team in the NHL to announce their plans to unveil their new uniforms, which are produced by Reebok and feature the Rbk EDGE Uniform System technology that was introduced at the 2007 NHL All-Star Game in Dallas. The Capitals are the first team planning to have their new uniforms on hand at the NHL Entry Draft.
Further details about the event will be announced in the coming weeks."
No further details have been posted yet, but the Washington Capitals' website is making this into a huge show. Their splash page even has "The Unveiling 6.22.07" on it. I'm assuming that Ted Leonsis, who was never very fond of the current Capitals jersey and colour scheme, has had his hand in the redesign as well.
All I know is that this release should be very interesting. If the Capitals' new jerseys look as ridiculous as the All-Star Game jerseys did, it will be a crime. However, if the new jerseys recapture that red, white, and blue essence of the old jerseys, I will be very happy.
After spending some time on various Washington Capitals message boards, it appears that the fans are split on bringing back the red, white, and blue. Most really want them to ditch the black jersey, but some want the Capitals to go back to the blue jersey (great idea, if you ask me). It appears that with the press release above that the Capitals will officially return to the old colours. It is official, though: Caps fans hate the black uniform. What do you think? Hit me with your thoughts in the comment section.
All I know is that the Minnesota Wild are going to be using their current alternate red uniforms as their home uniform next season. The prevailing rumour out of Edmonton is that the current alternate jersey with the dark blue and silver has a good chance as sticking around as Edmonton's home jersey. It is consistently in the top-selling merchandise, so it makes sense to keep it. I'd like to see Vancouver's alternate jersey stick around as their home jersey. I love the blue and green colour scheme, and I am a huge fan of Luongo's alternate look (sorry, Canucks fans, about the pic, but it shows his awesome pads too). I'd really appreciate the Bruins keeping their alternate as their home uniform. All this is, of course, speculation, with the exception of Minnesota, but good jerseys should live forever. Until next time, keep your stick on the ice!


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A bill introduced Thursday by two members of the House of Representatives would bring an immediate end to both the $0.45 per gallon Volumetric Ethanol Excise Tax Credit (VEETC) and the tariff on imported ethanol.
The bill by Reps. Wally Herger (R-CA) and Joseph Crowley (D-NY) mirrors an amendment introduced by Sens. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and Tom Coburn (R-OK) that passed the Senate last week 73-27.
The broad coalition of 30 associations supporting the measure includes the American Meat Institute. "We applaud and thank Representatives Herger and Crowley for their bipartisan leadership in moving the critical issue of biofuels to reform forward," the groups said in a press release.
"It is high time the United States ended taxpayer-funded subsidies for corn-based ethanol and this bill is a step in the right direction. We encourage the House to move quickly to enact this legislation and to continue to oppose spending on infrastructure that will expand the market for corn-based ethanol."


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Ultrarunner and Runner's World blogger Dean Karnazes describes the 135-mile Badwater Ultramarathon in California's Death Valley as "hell, only hotter." This year's race, which concluded this morning, fit the bill.
Daytime temperatures reached 120, with the road surface reported to be 170 degrees. The thermometer at Stovepipe Wells at mile 41 hit 130.
And still they ran.
The heat, of course, is part of the challenge that drew 97 competitors from 25 nations to the starting line in Badwater basin, which, at 280 feet below sea level, is the lowest point in North America. Considered among the toughest footraces in the world, Badwater makes runners endure unrelenting sun over three mountain ranges, climb a cumulative 13,000 feet and drop 4,700 feet before finishing near the summit of Mount Whitney in the Sierra Nevada.
Portuguese athlete Carlos Gomes De Sá, 39, who was running his first Badwater, took first place in 24:28:16, followed by Australian Grant Maughan in 24:53:57.
The winning time was just shy of two hours slower than last year's, likely the result of high heat and raging winds.
"We were running in the hottest place on Earth during a heat wave," said Karnazes by phone from his air-conditioned car after the race. "We also hit massive headwinds, I'd say 20 to 25 miles per hours, during the climb to Towne Pass. It was the second or third toughest in terms of conditions that I've seen in 11 years of running Badwater."
More From Runner's World
A fast start also contributed to slower times.
"The field was competitive and a bunch of us went out hard, including me," said Karnazes. "I was running about a 7:15 pace, which is ludicrous. It was a deadly strategy. At least 10 of us came through the first checkpoint at times way ahead of previous years."
Karnazes estimates his fitness could've earned him a top five, even a top three, finish. He hung on, he said, for 17th.
The harsh conditions likely affected 2011 Badwater winner Oswaldo Lopez, 41. He and Sá ran together on the climb up Panamint Springs to Father Crowley Point. Sá eventually pulled ahead with Lopez finishing third in 25:27:03, nearly two hour off his 23:32:28 second-place time last year.
In the women's race, Australian Catherine Todd, 34, claimed the top spot in 29:59:29, a mere seven minutes slower than last year's winning time, but still hours behind the course record of 26:16:12.
Veteran ultrarunner Pam Reed—Badwater's female champ in 2005 and overall winner in 2002 and 2003—trailed Todd during the last quarter of the race, taking the women's second spot (and first American, female), 40 minutes behind Todd.
This year's field was nearly a 50-50 split between veterans and rookies. Forty-nine athletes were running their first Badwater, 48 were back for their second, third, or, as in the case of Reed and Karnazes, their 11th edition.
Cincinnati resident and schoolteacher Harvey Sweetland Lewis III was the first American to cross. He finished fourth in 25:49:50.
Keith Straw (pictured, in tutu, near the start), a Pennsylvania resident by way of Britain, crossed the finish in 42:44:46, over the average finishing time of 40 hours but well under the 48-hour cutoff.
Fifteen runners did not finish.


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The Secret Beyond Matter
Miracles Within the Molecule
Crystals: The Wondrous Order in Molecules
Whenever the word "crystal" is mentioned, people often think of a crystal vase or, rather more scientifically, the ice crystals in a snowflake. But crystal, in fact, is a flawless and magnificent work of art at the molecular level.
The incomparable geometry in crystals amazed scientists when they were first discovered. The secret of their perfection was realized only very recently, as a result of the efforts of a great many experts. In order to understand Allah's geometrical artistry, we must first examine the three different states that molecules assume.
Three Different States Alter any Molecule's Qualities
Most of us are aware of the three states of matter, of which the best-known example is water. In its normal room-temperature state, water is a liquid. When frozen, it assumes a solid form—ice—and when heated it turns into a gas we know as steam. Most molecules can assume these three different states of matter without losing their molecular structures. However, not all matter assumes these three different states. For example, if you heat gunpowder, you cannot obtain a gaseous form of it. Gunpowder explodes when heated and becomes a totally different molecule. Molten glass does not turn into a solid when chilled, it merely becomes hard—contrary to what is generally thought, a glass beaker is actually a liquid! 63 The reason why we assume that glass is s a solid is that it is so very hard and slow to flow. There is a thicker layer of glass at the bottoms of glasses and vases that have survived from ancient times because glass imperceptibly flows downwards—as can be seen in the ripples on old window panes.
The substance we call "crystal" is a molecular structure displayed by substances in their solid form. To appreciate this better, consider that the gaseous, solid and fluid states of water possess the same molecular features. All are described by the formula H2O. In water's liquid form, its molecules slide over one another. In its gaseous state, they drift apart, independently from one another, over a wide volume. But in their solid state, the water molecules arrange themselves one after the other in a most symmetrical and immaculate order and crystallize. This is how ice forms. Any compound achieving a symmetrical form and geometrical order when it solidifies undergoes crystallization. If a compound cannot achieve this symmetrical order when it cools, then that compound is not a crystalline. That is one reason why glass is not regarded as a solid: The molecules that constitute it do not acquire a crystalline structure when cooled, and the arrangement of its molecules and atoms remains irregular. A substance that cannot achieve such an order cannot crystallize, for which reason they can never achieve a solid state.
The Flawless Creation in Crystal
Atoms combine in various ways to form a three-dimensional molecule, which form is of great importance. As you have already seen, the functionality of the salt molecule is only possible through the sodium and chlorine atoms bound to one another attaining this three-dimensional form. The atoms and molecules that comprise a substance attain their most regular forms in the solid state. The three-dimensional forms they give rise to always have the same specific angles, which never change in any of the forms that the molecules form. So perfect is this order that not a single atom impairs the sequence and there is never a deviation in the angles between the atoms in a molecule. Atoms that combine at a 60-degree angle never combine at 61 degrees. If you heat this solid, making it liquid, then evaporate it and then chill it and freeze it again, the compound or element in question will re-assume the same perfect geometric form as before. The atoms will attach to one another literally as if they knew where they had to go, and the same exact angles will appear between them. When they recombine, no error will appear in the angles any greater than 1 degree. If the atoms formerly made a hexagonal prism when they came together, they will definitely do so again.
Understanding the small scale in which this perfect order arises helps grasp the scale of this perfection. The diameter of an atom is approximately one hundred millionth of 3 centimeters (1.18 inch) and inside a 3 cm crystal contains 100 million x 100 million x 100 million atoms (100,000,000 x 100,000,000 x 100,000,000). If a regular progression of 1/1,000,000 of 3 cm (1.18 inch) is seen, then this substance may be regarded as a crystal. Therefore, every crystal possesses millions of regularly arranged atoms. 64 But you can't still see the scope of that order under the microscope. Thus no matter how many times you divide a solid substance—a metal for example—into fragments, you are still left with crystalline structures, because the atoms in even the smallest molecules still preserve their order. Even if you grind the substance into a powder, you are still left with crystal fragments. If you entirely melt this solid powder, then to a large extent it loses its crystalline structure.
The flat surface of a crystal is known as its face, and where two faces meet is the edge. The place where two edges meet is known as the corner. The edges surrounding a face generally form a simple geometrical shape such as a triangle or square. When all the surfaces that constitute the crystal are brought together, then cubic, rectangular or hexagonal prisms result. These structures can sometimes be very much more complex' and the greater the complexity of the structure, the greater the perfection of the emerging symmetry. Faces join to one another at every corner with perfect angles, which never exhibit an alteration or impairment. Prisms follow one another, and not even a flaw of 1/1,000 of a millimeter (that is, 4 x 10-5 of an inch) between geometrical shapes ever arises.
The impairment of crystalline structure makes the substance assume an entirely different form, or else fall apart completely. Such an event would damage the entire order in nature, and would mean that a great many substances we are familiar with would be unrecognizable. In short, perfection must prevail within this order, and both perfection and order must be monitored at every moment. This, of course, reveals that everything created is under the protection of Allah.
Even if different molecules are present in the same environment, their special crystalline structures prevent them never become intermingling with one another and thus losing their individual properties. For example, the salt and sugar crystals you throw into hot water soon dissolve into the liquid. Yet when you evaporate this solution, the salt and sugar in the water will crystallize separately and achieve their former structures. 65 The atoms in the salt never combine with one another at different angles, and the molecules never change their sequence. Indeed, any change in the sequence would result in the salt becoming an entirely different molecule.
How important are all this harmony and order? In this microworld—which we cannot see and of which most of us are unaware—how important is it for molecules to combine in a perfect geometrical arrangement while preserving their flawless angular values? Why is it they possess their own unique forms, and never lose them? If they did not possess these features, would the world really consist of random atoms and molecules?
Of course, if Allah so wished it, no forms or geometrical arrangements would be necessary for the variety we observe around us to come into being. If He wished, there would be no need of either atoms or molecules to form matter. Allah's creation of this microworld in all its flawless complexity is based on most important wisdom. Even those who seek to deny Allah's existence cannot offer any explanation for this perfection and often express their astonishment at the creation in front of them. The presence of sublime artistry in even the smallest speck of dust proves that there can be no power outside that of Allah, Who reveals in the following verse:
All praise belongs to Allah, the Lord of the heavens and the Lord of the Earth, Lord of all the worlds. All greatness belongs to Him in the heavens and Earth. He is the Almighty, the All-Wise. (Surat al-Jathiyya: 36-37)
A Few Examples of Crystals' Flawless Structure
The minerals of which rocks are composed furnish the most familiar examples of crystals; everyone recognizes crystalline quartz, gems, and most semiprecious stones. But few realize that with few exceptions the entire solid crust of the Earth is crystalline. 66 Were you able to see this crust magnified, you would be utterly amazed at what you saw. You would see that everywhere you stepped was an uninterrupted plane bound with regular geometrical shapes, and you would realize that this was even more regular than everything else you see around you. You would realize that flawless structures, with their sublime symmetry and aesthetic appeal, are exhibited in even the smallest specks of dust, was also right under your feet. You would sense the splendor as well as the beauty of all this at every moment. In fact, with every step you take on Earth, you are faced with a perfect creation. What deceives you is merely the fact that you cannot perceive this sublime artistry with your naked eyes.
Other familiar examples of crystals are snowflakes. The crystals that give rise to snowflakes are loosely bonded together, giving rise to such different patterns that no snowflake is identical to any other. On a snowy day, you can easily discover that snowflakes have very different shapes from one another by using a magnifying glass. The possibility of ever finding two identical snowflakes is exceedingly remote. Now, how many snowflakes fall in merely one acre over the course of a year? How about the mountains covered in snow and the sub-zero polar regions? Now, putting all these aside, consider how much snow falls on Earth over a year. If you had the means of bringing all these individual snowflakes together and examining them one by one, you would see that each one was completely different. The reason for this is the molecular property of the molecules constituting the snowflakes. Because of this, the snow crystals form with different geometrical structures, within their six-armed pattern.
The structures of all water molecules are basically the same, but these molecules can still exhibit variety. One out of every 5,000 water molecules may contain a deuterium atom instead of a hydrogen one. Additionally, in every 500 atoms there may be one oxygen atom with an atomic weight of 18 instead of 16. This difference causes a combination when ice crystallizes. There are 1018 water molecules in a single snowflake, and due to the variety of water molecules just described, 1015 of the water molecules forming a snowflake will be different from the others. According to this calculation, there is a 1 in 1024 possibility of two snowflakes having exactly the same sequence and shape. But the probability of such having occurred since the beginning of the universe is zero! 67
The really interesting fact is that all this infinite variety of snowflakes possesses a perfect, flawless symmetry.
A snowflake is condensed water vapor that begins to form around a small dust particle, just a few microns in size. This microscopic shape is hexagonal, stemming from the structure of the water molecule. This crystal that forms grows increasingly larger, as small branches begin to grow from its arms. The colder the weather becomes, the faster these branches grow. As the flake is exposed to changes in the weather, capillary tubes begin forming on the emerging structure. As the snow spreads around and is subjected to different weather conditions this structural growth continues and starts to acquire a characteristic fitted to every condition. Since every branch in a single snowflake experiences identical growth, the branches all resemble one another, even though exceedingly complex structures emerge. In line with the original hexagonal structure, a symmetry based on the number six emerges, and the crystal acquires a three-dimensional structure. 68
These physical phenomena we have outlined, and the physical laws that give rise to them, are actually exceedingly complex. Therefore, just as snowflakes acquire very different shapes, they also acquire an immaculate symmetry, so finely calculated that it seems to have been designed on a computer. Most people never realize that just a single snowflake possesses exceptionally beautiful and aesthetic symmetrical shapes, and never come to understand its perfect structure. Nonetheless, a snowflake appears as an immaculate work of art because it is an example of Allah's artistry.
Another example of the marvels to be found in the crystal realm is a virus, which can lie dormant for hundreds of years and then miraculously come to life when it detects a living cell. The term "come to life" is a particularly apt, because viruses exhibit no signs of life until they sense the heat and moisture of a living cell. They have no organelles in the same way that single-celled organisms do. They only have a cell membrane that helps them to protect their DNA (and sometimes, RNA). They must hijack another living cell in order to replicate and make use of the shelter it offers.
Viruses can survive anywhere in the world, in heat or cold, in the air or underground, until they find a way of installing themselves inside a cell. The only reason why they don't break down and disintegrate is their crystal structure. This endows these tiny specks, invisible to the naked eye, with a flawless and symmetrical structure capable of protecting them. The distinct geometrical structures of viruses are the most evident features of their crystalline sheath. 69
Other microorganisms, not just viruses, also crystallize—a clear sign that microorganisms know the most far-sighted method of self-protection. When conditions grow difficult, various microorganisms such as algae and bacteria crystallize and enter into a kind of hibernation to survive. They remain in that state until conditions are better suited to them. As conditions worsen, each species of bacteria uses its own particular method of crystallization to rise up in the air. Its crystalline layer structure protects it against the harsh environmental conditions it may encounter among the clouds. When they encounter conditions better suited to themselves, these organisms lose the crystal structure protecting them and return to their behavior, feeding and multiplying.
The formation of totally different, dazzling shapes with a flawless symmetry and immaculate geometry as a result of the combination of atoms and molecules—and the way that such a structures offer protection—are most important signs leading to faith. Everything you read about takes place at the molecular level. There is enormous care and incomparable intellect on Earth. This obvious truth pulls the rug out from under the feet of those who seek to ascribe other powers besides Allah and seek to deny His existence. His creativity reveals the hollow nature of their endeavors and strengthens the faith of believers. That is why such sublime artistry is displayed even in the tiniest details. As Allah reveals in His verses:
Praise be to Allah, to Whom everything in the heavens and everything in the Earth belongs, and praise be to Him in the Hereafter. He is the All-Wise, the All-Aware.
He knows what goes into the Earth and what comes out of it, and what comes down from heaven and what goes up into it. And He is the Most Merciful, the Ever-Forgiving. (Surah Saba': 1-2)
63. Alan Holden-Phylis Singer, Crystals and Crystal Growing, Anchor Books, p. 18.
67. http://www.its.caltech.edu/~atomic/snowcrystals/natural/natural.htm
69. http://www.saglikplatformu.com/arastirmalar/showquestion.asp?faq=4&fldAuto=30


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The Department of Finance and Commercial Law at Western Michigan University offers majors in finance, personal financial planning and general business; it offers minors in finance, general business, insurance, law and real estate.
The department educates its students in the theory and practice of finance and in the application of legal and ethical principles.
The department provides education to develop and enhance the knowledge, skills and abilities of its students. The quality of education is strengthened by experiences such as cases, internships and study abroad programs, as well as the use of technology and a faculty committed to professional development and research.
The department assesses its programs for the purpose of continuous improvement. Student learning is assessed, course content reviewed, and employers surveyed to be sure that graduates have the appropriate knowledge and skills.
The Haworth College of Business is among an elite group of fewer than 5 percent of business schools worldwide that are accredited at both the undergraduate and graduate levels by the AACSB International—The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. It is among a select 1 percent of business schools worldwide that have additional specialized AACSB accreditation for their accountancy programs.


text: Back A Closer Look at Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) IBS is not a disease; it is a disorder that interferes with the normal function of the large intestine (colon) and is characterized by cramping, abdominal pain, bloating, constipation, and diarrhea. In the past, it has been called colitis, mucous colitis, spastic colon, or spastic bowel. IBS involves how the muscles in the intestines work and how pain is perceived in the bowel, but it does not permanently damage the colon, and does not lead to bleeding or a serious disease, such as cancer or inflammatory bowel diseases (Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis). Most people can control their symptoms with diet, stress management, and medications. But for some people, IBS can interfere with work, social events, or travel. The ailment is twice as common among women as men, but this could partly be because women are more open about health problems. It usually begins around age 20. Many people let IBS persist for several years before seeing a health care provider. The cause of IBS is not known. People with IBS may have a colon that is more sensitive and reactive than usual to certain foods or stress. Abnormally high levels of serotonin, a neurotransmitter found in the brain and in the gastrointestinal tract (GI), are found in people with IBS. This makes the pain receptors in the GI tract more sensitive. IBS tends to occur more often among people with depression and anxiety. Other possible causes include: Stress (feeling mentally or emotionally tense) Bacterial infections of the GI tract Undiagnosed mild celiac disease (an autoimmune disease in which people cannot digest gluten, a substance found in wheat, rye, and barley) Increased estrogen, which seems to influence the activity of the bowels; on average, women's symptoms worsen around menstruation Symptoms The symptoms that define IBS vary from person to person but include abdominal pain that is relieved by a bowel movement; diarrhea or constipation--sometimes both; a sense of urgency to pass stool; incomplete passage of stool; mucus in the stool; and gas or bloating. For a diagnosis of IBS, the symptoms have to be present for at least 12 weeks out of the previous 12 months. The 12 weeks do not have to be consecutive. The symptoms usually aren't continuous, but occur from a few times a week to once a month. IBS also might go away for years and suddenly return. What distinguishes it from other GI upsets is the frequency and severity of symptoms. Bleeding, fever, weight loss, and persistent severe pain are not symptoms of IBS. If you have these symptoms you should see your health care provider. Anyone with the symptoms of IBS should tell his or her health care provider. Treatments for IBS There is no cure for IBS, but symptoms can be relieved. Many prescription medications are used to treat IBS, including antidepressants, antianxiety drugs, bowel stimulants, and antispasmodic drugs to prevent diarrhea (Lomotil or Imodium). Fiber supplements or occasional laxatives for constipation may help, but talk to your health care provider before trying these. Stress management techniques are an important part of treatment. Relaxation training, counseling, regular exercise, and adequate sleep can help reduce the response to stress that triggers colon spasms. Dietary changes may help relieve symptoms. By keeping a list of the foods that seem to increase symptoms, you can learn what foods to avoid. Increasing fiber will help relieve constipation but will not help diarrhea or pain. Getting enough liquids, especially if you have diarrhea, is important. Carbonated beverages may cause increased gas, as can eating too quickly or chewing gum. Smaller meals or smaller portions may also help relieve symptoms. Antidepressants can help those with psychological distress, and also can independently ease pain. People sometimes use herbal teas, such as chamomile, and ginger. The FDA advises health care providers, patients, families, and caregivers of adults and children that they should closely monitor all patients beginning therapy with antidepressants and when doses are either increased or decreased, for worsening depression and suicidal thinking. The FDA also advises that these patients be observed for certain behaviors associated with these drugs, such as anxiety, agitation, panic attacks, insomnia, irritability, hostility, impulsivity, severe restlessness, hypomania, and mania. It is recommended that doctors be particularly vigilant with patients who may have bipolar disorder.


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Rocky HW00047 Rocky Silenthunter Rain Pant
If you need hunting gear, the SilentHunter Rain Pant by Rocky with Realtree camo is a great option for stealth and comfort.
Rocky's specially-designed SilentHunter suede is extremely quiet outerwear option, so you don't give away your position to your prey.
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In addition to being great hunting pants, these also are comfortable rain pants. They are taped and seam sealed to be completely waterproof. You stay dry and comfortable, so you can concentrate on the hunt. These are zip fly pants with belt loops so these camouflage pants are easy to get on and off.
You'll remain comfortable all day in these pants. Due to the athletic fit, they look good. An elastic side waist allows you to remain comfortable whether sitting in a tree stand all day or bending over your kill. The moisture-wicking mesh lining allows air to flow and guards against sweat, ensuring additional comfort.
- Guaranteed Rocky Waterproof construction
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- SilentHunter suede fabric, micro-denier fibers wick moisture away and allow for complete silence in the woods
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- Zip front fly with belt loops


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USDA official fires back at critics
A federal poultry inspector could spend three days staring at a chicken and never see a foodborne pathogen.
So the idea that a modernized poultry inspection system that involves faster line speeds and fewer federal inspectors would somehow put the public in any more danger is absurd, says the country's top meat safety official.
Elisabeth Hagen, undersecretary for food safety at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, sat down for an exclusive interview with POLITICO on Wednesday morning in the wake of a report from the Government Accountability Office that suggests the department should provide more information on the impact of its plans to expand its HACCP-based Improvement Project.
Since 1998, the USDA has allowed a certain number of chicken, turkey and hog plants to operate outside of their normal set of rules, using faster line speeds and replacing some federal inspectors with plant employees. In early 2012, USDA proposed expanding the program, setting off a firestorm of reaction from consumer advocates and unions concerned about the safety of poultry workers.
But Hagen said the public is getting the wrong impression of the program.
"The proposed rule is bigger than [HIMP]," Hagen said in making the department's case for HIMP expansion. "And we know that these are things that are tough to get done and the industry understands that these things are important, and they see a lot of incentives in this rule, and I think that's why they're supporting some of these tougher consumer protections."
Besides speeding up production lines and replacing some government inspectors with plant employees, the proposal put forward by USDA also calls for poultry plants to develop, implement and maintain written procedures to prevent contamination of carcasses and parts by pathogens, such as Salmonella and Campylobacter, and fecal material throughout the entire slaughter and dressing operation.
"This is about public health. Whether the pilot 15 years ago started out focused on public health or efficiency, what this proposal is about now is public safety," Hagen said.
"When we look at the data, it's pretty clear that consumer protections are increased and not decreased. It's completely the opposite of the story that some people are pushing."
GAO in its report says USDA has not provided enough data to address food safety-related concerns related to its proposed expansion of the inspection program.
The report, which was based on an audit that took place between September 2012 and August 2013, claims that the department's evaluation of food safety and quality performance standards was too limited because it used a snapshot of data rather than data collected from the pilot plants for the majority of the 15 years the program has been in place.
"Things like the GAO audit are actually really helpful," Hagen told POLITICO. "They look at things in a way that we don't necessarily have on the inside. So they point out things we may not have considered, or sometimes they show us the appearance of something that could be problematic.
"I think though that we disagree on what some of those limitations of data are."
As of July 2013, 29 plants — 19 for slaughtering chicken, five for young turkeys and five for hogs — were participating in the USDA's pilot program, which began in 1998. Some of the poultry plants in the program have sped up the number of birds that go by from 140 per minute to as much as 175.
Consumer advocates are not convinced that the program will strengthen the food-safety inspection system, given the increased pace of the inspection process.
Several groups have questioned how thorough inspectors can be when production lines are sped up by up to 25 percent, and unions have expressed concern over loss of jobs and the increased speed poultry workers will have to deal with. The proposed ruling received 175,000 comments from different groups.
Comments submitted by a coalition of groups, including Food and Water Watch, Contract Poultry Growers Association of the Virginias and Farm and Ranch Freedom Alliance, say, "… the agency's assertion about food safety is questionable at best. This proposed rule would let the fox guard the hen house at the expense of worker safety and consumer protection."
But USDA claims its data show that fecal material, the primary avenue for pathogen contamination, appears about half as often in HIMP establishments, which are also checked four times more often for fecal material by inspectors. The average positive rate for Salmonella in HIMP plants is also 20 percent lower than the average positive rate.
"We absolutely, vehemently disagree that this would increase food-safety risks for anyone," Hagen said. "In fact, it would do the opposite. We would never put it forward if it weren't going to reduce illnesses. That would be inconsistent with everything that we've done in this term.
"An inspector could have three days per bird and he still couldn't see Salmonella," she said. "So the common sense reason that illnesses are reduced is that we have inspectors looking at things that they should be looking at instead of trying to see Salmonella or bruises."
Another roadblock the USDA is facing for expanding the HIMP program are concerns regarding worker safety.
The Southern Poverty Law Center, an Atlanta-based advocacy group, filed a 72-page petition Tuesday with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration to issue a mandatory standard regulating work speeds on production lines in meatpacking and poultry industries.
The group interviewed more than 300 poultry workers at poultry plants participating in pilot programs where line speeds were accelerated and found that 78 percent of the workers believed their jobs were made less safe.
But Hagen maintained that plants that implemented the pilot-program have dealt with the increase in speed by staffing up or automation, adding that inspectors who are not needed in plants will have the opportunity to move to other jobs.
"People have raised concerns about worker safety — sort of that gut feeling that things are going to be moving faster so are workers at risk. We don't have any data that shows that's the case.
"No one will be fired. An inspector who might now be employed on the line anymore has the opportunity to move to another job at [Food Safety Inspection Service]. The folks who are able to move in to these new jobs will actually be higher grades, which means better pay."


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I used to suffer from chronic anxiety. This illness took many forms, the most pervasive of which was my compulsion to worry constantly, envisioning the worst possible outcome of any situation or endeavor. I would also brood, spending hours, days or weeks blowing up the smallest negative interaction into some sort of globally applicable proof of all that was wrong with me, my life and the world. Another delightful side effect was periodic hypochondria. But the crowning feature was the full blown panic attacks I'd suffer every few years, often with several clustered in a short period of time. If you've ever had one of these, you'll know that they are intensely frightening, uncomfortable and exhausting experiences.
For years I attempted to treat this problem through traditional talk therapy. Years. Well over 10. In hindsight, I probably should have tried a more practical variety, such as cognitive behavioral therapy, but, despite rejecting many of its theories (Oedipal complex? please, spare me) I bought the psychoanalytic approach hook, line and sinker.
I don't feel that those years I spent in the chair were a total waste of time and money. Insofar as I had a sympathetic ear once or twice a week, I think that I was helped in some ways during those years in terms of getting some perspective. But the issue that brought me there in the first place — horrendous anxiety — remained, sometimes abating for a few years at a time, and in the process convincing me that I was over the problem. But it was always a matter of time before it came roaring right back.
I'd been running 15-20 miles per week since the age of 34. Then I started upping the mileage and effort at 39 in training for my first major race, a half marathon. Shortly after I started running more, and running harder, I noticed subtle yet unmistakable changes in mood. Not just the cessation of anxiety attacks (I'd seen that before), but a lifting of the constant dread and chorus of negativity that permeated my inner mental world.
So I ran more, and I ran harder. I got better, both as a runner and in my head. The daily devil of nagging anxiety had at last been banished. I felt so much better that I finally quit therapy, a decision I'd been struggling with for several years. I didn't need it anymore. That was about four and a half years ago. Not coincidentally, that is the longest I've gone between anxiety attacks since I started having them in my preteen years.
I decided to post about this after reading this article in the NY Times, which seems to bring some scientific evidence to bear on my anecdotal experience.
Of course, what this means is that I can probably never stop running. I can live with that.
Filed under: everyday life, physiology | Tagged: anxiety, depression | 16 Comments »


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Hark, it's the first Prometheus cosplay spotted in the wild! Straight from the mean streets of Comic-Con comes this amazing Prometheus cosplay of an Engineer, his abs, and a flock of sexy Weyland Nurses. Is this cosplay or This Ain't Prometheus XXX? We don't care! We love you and your shoes, Mr. Engineer! Take us to your homeworld, Albino CrossFit 7!
Deadly Mississippi Tornado Kills More Than 2 Dozen | Extreme Earth


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Aoraki-Mt Cook all-day scenic tour from Christchurch – mountains, lakes, glaciers and Alpine Centre
- 天數: 12 小時 (左右)
- 位置: Canterbury
Jaw dropping scenery and an amazing alpine experience in incredible surroundings.
Along the way from Christchurch in our luxurious AWD Mercedes bus, enjoy travelling to your destination - the famous Hermitage Hotel and the Sir Edmund Hillary Alpine Centre and the 3D theatre, Museum and digital dome Planetarium. Take in the truly breath-taking scenery upon entering the southern alps of New Zealand and relish the sites of the Ben Ohau Range, Lake Tekapo, Lake Pukaki, and even multiple sites from "middle earth" (places used to film "Lord of the Rings").
Enjoy close proximity and spectacular views of New Zealand's highest peak in the Aoraki / Mount Cook National Park. Located in Te Wāhipounamu UNESCO World Heritage Area, later in the day you will undertake a side trip to the Tasman Glacier; or alternatively, relax back at Mt Cook Village where you can spend more time at the Alpine Centre, or the Hermitage's Retail Centre, or Mt Cook Village, or at the Department of Conservation's Visitor Centre (there's heaps to do) - before being picked up later for return journey to Christchurch.
Fully inclusive price includes:
- Pick up from major Christchurch central city hotels - or hop on before departure outside Canterbury Museum, Central Christchurch (make your selection when booking - can be later amended)
- Delicious lunch at the iconic Hermitage Hotel, Mt Cook.
- Morning and afternoon tea and refreshments
- Entry to Sir Edmund Hillary Alpine Centre - 3D theatre, Museum, Gallery, and Planetarium
- Scenery stops in mountain lakeside centres and "Middle Earth" along the way
- Optional side trip to Tasman Glacier - or relax back at Mt Cook Village
- Luxury coach travel at its best in a 4WD Mercedes Benz: to and from destination
- Free onboard WIFI and USB connection
- A lively, entertaining and highly knowledgeable tour guide who can relate all the history, myths and legends
When booking, be sure to include your unique code GOGERALDINE to obtain your special discount, and select "Geraldine Farmshop & Cafe" as your pickup location from the drop down menu. Note: This discount is not applicable when departing from Christchurch.


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Or we could be in big trouble. The antis of Ireland have a whole arsenal of secret weapons in the battle to keep women pregnant that I haven't seen deployed here — they have access to Catholic magic. I don't think we'd be able to resist if they started cruising our country with magic paintings, magic garments (guaranteeing immunity from hellfire!), and magic faces.
No word yet on whether they have any magic briar patches.


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Copyright© Bill Graham Archives and affiliates
Pray forth to the visionaries who first developed peyote because here comes a new descendant, someone with the spitting image of the same peoples, the same straight nose, hairline, wiry lines and eyesight. Its bugle call, announcing advancement or arrival, is the sound of hellhounds and the howls of junkyard dogs hungry and willing to chew off their feet to satiate the hollow gonging of the stomach, its bargained pleading. It's the sound of coyotes far off in the desert distance, sending smoke signals to the rest of the pack out roaming around the hunting fields, mangy but adamant about finding some meaty legs and ribs for dinner, for the fire that they'll learn to make when the sun sets.
It's the sound of spontaneous combustion, setting off a chain of unlikely blazes. It makes you break out into seizures and loops, traveling on the bullet train to tarnation - but with benefits, with perks that are better than parole. White Denim, the Austin, Texas, three-piece is this coming, this marauding, three-headed horseman of explosive guitars and scorpion testosterone, blowing everything in its way back two counties, ripping clothing and skepticism into confetti and raffling off the pedestrian way of doing rock and roll to anyone who will take it in this seller's market. Go over to your DVD closet or the quicker alternative, YouTube, and watch the way that Jimi Hendrix makes pants-on love to his death row-ed guitar just before lighting it on fire at the Monterey Pop Festival decades ago. All of the things that the eyes capture in those few minutes are hazy reflections of the very manners by which Steve Terebecki, James Petralli and Joshua Block adhere to, without fail.
Any moron could pick up on the Hendrix influence in the band's own purple-veined, pulsating and soulful bleedings, but it's more the sensation that led the guy to his overdose and his own drive that they deem the animal which they'd prefer to track down and tame - or shake up and fuck with to make wilder and more feral. They'd ramble behind it and pin a tail onto that animal. Back in California, there sitting on his calves, Hendrix is possessed, freeing the demons that must have gotten locked into the body of his guitar, chomping his gum (always that gum - the devil's gum!), summoning and summoning whatever may appear, thrusting toward the burning piece of wood and metal and ejaculating lighter fluid onto the pile to spur it on, to piss it off. There is a God of rock and roll and still no one's seen its face - is what they might all agree to. It wasn't Hendrix because THE god was actually the person/deity that he was chasing, the person he was trying to impress and summon. It's more a cloud that can be spotted as a mass of shape-shifting fog and a silhouette of something globular and thematic - not anything that can have a particularly convincing claim. The gypsy mama that Petralli wails about in "Paint Silver Gold" - a pint-sized rager that feels like tripping and trailblazing and dynamic, short and sweet storytelling that is more about the disease it can foster and the endorphin-popping release it can bring - is a fiction and a flame, a dream of a flashback of a flashback. It's when dehydration's got a guy crawling past cactus and seeing an Aquafina bottling plant just a few paces ahead. It's nothing at all, but a divine delusion or a hallucination of humankind getting closer to finding the face of that rock and roll god, peeling off one more concealing cloak. White Denim are motivated to get that god naked, all the way naked.
©2023 Bill Graham Archives LLC


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VAMPIRE DIARIES Finale Sinks Its Teeth Into Largest Audience Since February
VAMPIRE DIARIES and SUPERNATURAL Season Finales Delivered Best
Thursday Night For The CW Since March in Total Viewers
May 14, 2010 (Burbank, CA) - The CW's VAMPIRE DIARIES and SUPERNATURAL delivered the network's best Thursday night since March in total viewers (3.14million) and best male 18-49 (1.2/4) since February, according to preliminary national live plus same day Nielsen ratings for Thursday, May 13, 2010.
Last night's finale was THE VAMPIRE DIARIES' most-watched episode since February 11 with total viewers (3.48million) and best adult 18-49 (1.7/5) since February 4. VAMPIRE DIARIES won the time period in females 12-34 (2.6/9), female teens 12-17 (2.8/10) and ties for second in women 18-34 (2.6/9) and persons 12-34 (1.9/7). Compared to last week, VAMPIRE DIARIES grew by 5% in total viewers and 6% in adults 18-49.
SUPRNATURAL delivered its highest ratings in three weeks among total views (2.80million), adults 18-49 (1.3/4), women 18-49 (1.4./4), males 18-49 (1.2/3) and teens 12-17 (1.2/4). SUPERNATURAL was second in the hour among female teens 12-17 (1.2/5), delivering its highest number in five weeks.
SUPERNATURAL retention from VAMPIRE DIARIES was 100% in males 18-49 and 80% in males 18-34. Compared to last week, SUPERNATURAL was up 11% in total viewers, 8% in adults 18-49 and women 18-49, and 140% in female teens 12-17.


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This originally appeared on State Department's Dipnote Blog.
Stop four of Secretary Kerry's Europe trip landed him in Rome and culminated with an announcement of $60 million in non-lethal assistance to strengthen the organizational capacity of the Syrian Opposition Coalition (SOC). With this announcement, the United States is now providing more than $115 million in non-lethal support for the civilian opposition. As liberated areas across Syria struggle to rebuild their communities without the support of the central government, this additional assistance will enable the SOC to help enhance the capacity of local councils and communities so they can expand the delivery of basic goods and essential services, fulfill administrative functions, and extend the rule of law.
Significantly, the Secretary also announced that the United States would extend the provision of food rations and medical kits to the opposition, including the Supreme Military Council, in order to feed those in need and to tend to the sick and wounded.
In Secretary Kerry's words: "We do this because we need to stand on the side of those in this fight who want to see Syria rise again in unity and see a democracy and human rights and justice."
Standing in solidarity side-by-side with the Italian Foreign Minister Giulio Terzi and Syrian Opposition Council Chairman Moaz al-Khatib, Secretary Kerry noted that the international community stands with a united voice in its commitment to helping the Syrian people achieve their goals.
"The United States and all the countries represented here believe the Syrian Opposition Coalition can successfully lead the way to a peaceful transition, but they cannot do it alone. They need more support from all of us, and they need Bashar al-Assad to make a different set of decisions."
While in Italy, Secretary Kerry attended a dinner with EU and NATO member foreign ministers and met with NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen, Estonian Foreign Minister Urmas Paet, Latvian Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkevics, and Lithuanian Foreign Minister Linas Linkevicius. He had the opportunity to meet with Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti and other government ministers and attend an event commemorating the 2013 Italian Year of Culture with Foreign Minister Giulio Terzi.
In a statement, Secretary Kerry also thanked Pope Benedict, who left the Holy See on February 28, for his leadership. He shared good wishes to the Pope on behalf of the American people.
You can follow his travel on www.state.gov.
Jared Caplan serves as a spokesperson and deputy director of the U.S. Department of State Regional Media Hub in Dubai.