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Wirefly helps you save on cell phones and plans by offering innovative comparison tools so consumers can make educated choices. Start saving today with Wirefly!
Wirefly helps you save on Internet service by offering innovative comparison tools to compare Internet providers in your area.
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Whether you are looking to buy a new home or refinance your existing home, finding the best mortgage rates is vitally important. If you are located in Waco, NE, Wirefly can help you find the best mortgage rates. Wirefly makes finding the best home loan rates easy by giving you the proper tools and information you need. When you research, analyze, and compare mortgage rates, you can be sure you are getting the best deal and that you are not paying high interest rates in the long term. After all, purchasing a new home is an exciting time in your life. Don't let high costs and interest rates damper this experience.
Waco, NE is an area where even people with the need to purchase low priced houses need home loans. Since the cheapest homes cost no less than fifty thousand dollars, a mortgage might be the only choice you have to getting the financing needed to buy a house. Getting a home loan is the best way to be able to afford a new home. Therefore, you have to find a mortgage with the lowest rates. In most cases, we as first time home buyers rely on insight from realtors, without knowing that they might direct you to a lender they have an acquaintance with so as to close a deal with you quickly. If you take such a path, you might end losing a lot of money in the long run. For the best results, you ought to take ample time and carry out thorough research to discover what is best for your needs. Using Wirefly's mortgage rate tool, take your time to compare and contrast how taking a loan from a small scale or large scale lender will affect your financial power. Since you do not want to get yourself a raw deal, ensure that your credit score is high enough. This way, you will land yourself the best interest rates.
Home loans are based on different qualifications, so you need to find the one that suits you. You need to decide if you want a fixed-rate or an adjustable-rate loan. Here are some of the most popular types of mortgages that are offered.
With fixed-rate loans in Waco, NE, the rate does not change throughout the life of the loan. Your principal monthly payment amount will not change while you are still paying on the loan, and the rate will always be the same. If you choose a 30-year mortgage, your payments will be lower, but your rate will always stay the same. If you want to pay off the loan sooner, you can shorten the term of the loan.
With adjustable-rate loans in Waco, NE, or ARMs, the rate will change depending on the market. During the first few years of the loan, the rate will stay the same. However, after the initial period expires, the rate will "adjust" periodically. The loan that starts off fixed is called a hybrid loan. It will eventually be switched to an adjustable rate. For example, the 7/1 ARM will be a loan that will be a fixed rate for the first seven years, then it will change each year. That is what the 7 and 1 signify.
After borrowers choose between a fixed and adjustable rate, they need to decide the type of loan that is best for them. Government-backed loans are available. The government loans that are available include FHA, VA, and USDA mortgages. The other type of loan that is offered is a conventional loan. A conventional loan is not insured by the federal government. The requirements for a conventional loan are more stringent than government-backed loans.
Anyone in Waco, NE is eligible to apply for an FHA loan. These loans are offered by the Federal Housing Administration, which is run by the Department of Housing and Urban Development, or HUD. People can qualify for this loan with less than perfect credit, and they only need to make a 3.5% down payment. One of the cons of this type of loan is that mortgage insurance is required, which will increase the monthly payment amount.
After a person lives in their home for a few years, they may want to check to see if interest rates have fallen to a level that would make it cost effective for them to refinance. Typically, if a Waco, NE homeowner can lower their interest rate by a couple of points, it makes sense to do so. They will also want to take a look at closing costs as those will be included in the process. When a person is refinancing their home mortgage, it is the same as taking out a brand-new home loan. A lender will require the same financial information from a buyer. Again, this is why a person should be diligent about keeping their credit score high. A person will want to take advantage of lower rates if they initially locked in a higher interest rate when they first purchased their home.
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by the all new App-o-Day: Free App Deal of the Day – by Iddiction.
Free for a limited time, only with App-o-Day. Get it while more...
by the all new App-o-Day: Free App Deal of the Day – by Iddiction.
Free for a limited time, only with App-o-Day. Get it while the promotion lasts.
See gameplay @ www.banzaiblowfish.com
It's here the all new desert stage!! With 8 totally new , totally fun levels!!!
NOTE: If you beat the whole game before latest the update , you will need to replay and beat the last level of the volcano stage to unlock the new levels.
** "Angry Birds be warned: You've got some solid competition in Banzai Blowfish." - gamezebo.com
** Banzai Blowfish! = Rolando + Angry Birds - razorianfly.com
** "addictive title" - appstorm.com
** App of the day - moblly.com
**Top 5 overall app in Canada!
**#1 in Puzzle In Canada!
**#2 in Action In Canada!
**TOP 10 Puzzle in USA,Poland,India,Croatia, UAE, Kuwait,Philippines, Chile, Sweden, Mexico,Argentina, New Zealand
Keep the emails, reviews and feedback coming - we love to hear from you and thank you for your support!
King Hikari's son has gone crazy and captured all of the Blowfish in Lake Fuji. It is now up to one heroic Fish to save his friends and restore order to the land.
☯ Universal compatibility, play on iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch (No need to pay again for a iPad version)
☯ Retina support enabled for iPhone 4, iPod Touch 4th Gen and iPad users
☯ 5 Stages with different themes - Rock,Snow,Night,Water,Volcano
☯ 48 Levels of fun physics action puzzles
☯ Unique Hand drawn graphics throughout the game
☯ Share you score via Facebook,twitter and email
☯ Compete world wide for the top score on Game Center
☯ Constant updates and new Stages and Levels on the way!!!!
NOTE: Please email us at firstname.lastname@example.com for any info, tips, recommendations or if you have any issues with the game.

subset: commoncrawl


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ConstraintLayout, Inside and Out: Part 2
ConstraintLayout, Inside and Out: Part 1
Firebase Drives the 360|AnDev Application
Play Services Complexity
Platform Apps in Android Studio
Hello, Brillo
Overview of the Brillo (and Weave) stack, including an overview of the features provided by Google and how it compares to its parent system—Android. Recorded at DevFest MN 2016.
Bluetooth UUIDs and Cross-Platform Advertisements
Bluetooth UUIDs can be a bit confusing at first, and there are some differences in how mobile platforms advertise these values that can lead to incompatibility problems in your application.
Sustainable Android Tests with Page Objects
Applying the Page Object Model (popular with Selenium testing framework) abstractions to your Android automated tests helps produce logic that is reusable and easier to maintain.
Google Proximity Beacons – Part 2
After you've fed some data into the Proximity Beacon API, how do you retrieve that information client-side when the mobile device observes your beacons out in the wild? In this article, we'll discuss how the Nearby Messages API provides the missing link to make this easy.


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Kerry: China could have helped with Snowden case
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, Brunei (AP) -- U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry says the U.S. thinks China could have "made a difference" in the case of National Security Agency leaker Edward Snowden if it had returned him to America to face charges.
But Kerry says the U.S.-China relationship is bigger than one incident and that the two countries cooperate on numerous issues, including North Korea.
Kerry spoke Monday at a Southeast Asia conference in Brunei.
Snowden's efforts to evade U.S. authorities -- taking him from a hotel hideout in Hong Kong to an airport transit zone in Moscow -- have undercut U.S. efforts to strengthen ties with China and threaten to worsen tension with Russia just as President Barack Obama seeks Moscow's cooperation on Syria. Kerry is to meet Tuesday with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.


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gry dziewczyn i gry dla dziewczyn
Najlepsze gry o dziewczynach na dziewczynygames.com, gry o przebieraniu, gry o urodzie, gry o dekorowaniu, gry o gotowaniu, itd.
Try out the new Action and Adventure online mobile game for FREE! You're shipwrecked on a mysterious island full of treasures and danger. When there's no more room in hell, the dead will roam this island. They come out at night and only true and experienced warriors will be able to leave this island with their life and loads of gold. The exciting and mysterious html5 online game for your smartphone is now available absolutely for free. Start playing it now! Lots of Action and adventure is awaiting you in this great free game!
Halloween Games, Action Games


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The Good, The Bad and The Ugly in Chengdu
Chengdu has had an eventful summer so far. First a new BRT system on the Second Ring, then the Fortune Global Forum, and now the grand opening of the World's Largest Building. Is it time to celebrate, or will summer storms rain on the parade?


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Cannibal Corpse
The 16th of March 2007
Helsinki Finland
Nosturi Club
By Arto Lehtinen
Cannibal Corpse have managed to create a lethal, but loyal fanbase in Finland which has increased tremendously since the five piece's first visit back in 1998. The gore death metallers have become regular visitors to Finland as most of their long tours have reached the northern territories. The show at Nosturi proved a tremendous success of Cannibal Corpse in Finland as the show was totally sold out in advance
Before canninbalistic corpses hit the stage, we had a small chat with the band's guitarist Rob Barrett. Rob has rejoined his old band to fill up the guitarist spot when the original guitarist Jack Owen pulled out to focus on other issues. Since the most recent Cannibal Corpse murderwork came out, the gore masters have been on the road terrorizing Europe all around.
According to Mr Barrett the current tour has been doing amazing, having visited new countries to expand the death metal messages to the new audience in new countries especially in the Eastern part of Europe. The band has struggled with diabolical censorship problems during their whole career because of the first three album which were banned in Germany. However, according to Barrett, the songs from these albums have been played on German soil without facing any kind of problems. It seems like the times are changed.
Rob Barret was recruited to fill up the empty shoes left by the guitarist Rob Rusae in 1993.
Before joining Cannibal Corpse in the beginning of the 90's, Rob Barret used to be involved in another old school classic death combo Malevolent Creation. "It was my decisions" stated Barret when inquired about the reasons for his departure from Malevolent Creation. Before teaming up with Cannibal Corpse he was in the local death metal squad Solstice for a while.
Of course it had to be inquire a little bit about the semi legendary movie appearance on Pet Detective. According to Barret, it was a funny experience because at than time Chris Barnes was still involved in the band as a vocalist.
George "CorpseGrinder" Fisher teamed up with Barret and company to lay down the vocals on the VILE album. The album had been recorded before Fisher joined the band. What resulted was Barnes's departure from Cannibal Corpse, it is understandable that Barret wasn't keen on enlighting particular reasons, but however something happened on a personal level.
After the VILE album the man took off and left the band, according to Barret, it was his own decisions to leave again.
The newest output titled KILL is a pure necrosadistic murder worship from the beginning to end making anyone suffer and bitterly. In Barrett's opinion, working on the album was more much professional now than for example compared to the sessions and moments of the 90's. Eric Rutan is the world top producer knowing all about the death metal. Eric Rutan has carved his mark in legendary bands such as Ripping Corpse, Morbid Angel and of course in his own band Hate Eternal. According to Barret, he was involved in the writing process of one song which after all ended up to the new KILL album.
As to the music in generel, Barrett admits being quite open minded what comes to checking the music whatever he likes.
When inquired about which band, either Malevolent Creation or Cannibal Corpse, is closer to the man's heart, and of course it is Cannibal Corpse. All right thanks to Rob Barrett for the short, but in-depth and detailed interview session.
But now it was about time return to the venue area to witness both bands in action. Cannibal Corpse have always had interesting opening acts on their tours, by giving an excellent opportunity for several unknown brutal underground bands to tour with their heroes. These small underground bands have been able to get a band's name spread amongst the normal mortal death metal kids. The Dutch death mongers Disavowed had been recruited to tour with Cannibal Corpse. Actually the Russian Mortem was supposed to arrive at Finland with the other ones, but all kinds of hassles with visa finally sent the Russian extreme metallers back home.
Before Disavowed crawled to the stage to whip the Finnish audience, the whole floor area was already entirely conquered by young bloodthirsty teens ready to arrange a pure havoc. Kids had packed against each other and the frontline was full of kids around the age of 15.
Disavowed kicked the night off by putting on one hell of a asskicking show. Actually the band looked more like a bunch of hard core freaks than a brutal death metal squad. The bald headed singer appeared to be an insane, relentless frontman moving on the stage from one side to another one with a raging intensive drive. As far as the vocals are concerned, the frontman must have been suffering a mandatory sore throat once and while as he kept having this gutted and brutal style thru the whole set.
Even though the Dutch five piece is a rather unknown act up here the Finnish crowd went totally beserk. The insane and relentless Dutchman were obviously thrilled about playing in front of such enthusiastic crowd.
Disavowed's gig can be described as simply wild and insane. Even the Cannibal Corpse guitarist seems to be digging the band severely.
Anyone digging utter brutal with the gutted vocal styles should try to get a hold of of some Disavowed.
Then Cannibal Corpse. Well the long time death metal veterans had spent quite a liquid night on the ferry between, but obviously sleeping in the tour bus may have awaken them up as the band looked and appeared to be in a normal vicious mood on the stage. The 70 minutes of frantic disembowelment given by the these gore obsessed icons offered a real festering in the crypt of Nosturi.
Fisher never shows any kind of mercy to his neck as his head was spinning 360 degree roughly. Banging his head with ultimate rage has become Fisher's immortal trademark. Another trademark is Fisher's deep brutal utter gutted growling style with insane quickly growled words. It ain't any unexpected surprise if Fisher has had to visit a physiotherapy. The man growled like a maniac as usual and kept beating his thigh. There wasn't any worthless speeches between songs, just a couple of words when the Finnish audience was thanked. If Fisher brutality banged his head, so did Alex Webster, who kept banging his hair ruthlessly almost thru the whole show while playing the bass. Both the guitarists definitely handled their own parts perfectly.
The set consisted of the material above all from the new album KILL and of course the mandatory classic songs like "Born In A Casket" and "I Cum Blood". Fisher was willing to dedicate especially one particular song to all the ladies in the audience "Fucked With The Knife". When one of the famous CC songs, known from the legendary Pet Detective movie, "Hammer Smashed Face" roared out of the loudspeakers the whole floor was burning up. The manic young kids arranged one hell of a chaotic and insane looking pit. The pit occasionally turned to be extreme wild when a bunch of kids were beating and pushing each others. The whole goings-on was reminiscent of a wild pit of zombies. After the show there was definitely nothing to mutilate in the audience, just hammer smashed faces and every bone broken.
The band is constantly on tours criss crossing the planet. It is sure being on tour has had some kind of impact on the guys physically, for example long breaks between songs and some mistakes in the playing. Anyway the band offered a solid gig of pure brutal death metal. Especially young kids must have been fascinated by seeing Cannibal Corpse on the stage, even though nothing can beat their debut show in Finland in 1998 with Dark Funeral and Infernal Majesty.
1. Unleashing the Bloodthirsty
2. Murder Worship
3. Decency Defied
4. I Cum Blood
5. Fucked with a Knife
6. Covered with Sores
7. Born In a Casket
8. The Wretched Spawn
9. I Will Kill You
10. Vomit the Soul
11. Disposal of the Body
12. Make Them Suffer
13. Dormant Bodies Bursting
14. Pit of Zombies
15. Five Nails Through the Neck
16. Devoured by Vermin
17. Hammer Smashed Face
18. Stripped, Raped and Strangled
The official CANNIBAL CORPSE site
The official DISAVOWED site


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The pages of the Bible are filled with the stories of men and women who had tremendous potential, people who started well but ended miserably.
But the Bible also gives us examples of those who started miserably but finished quite well.
A classic example of someone who had tremendous potential but did not finish well is the first king of Israel, Saul. It is worth noting that in the beginning, it was not really God's intention to give Israel a king. God wanted to uniquely rule Israel and speak to them primarily through their prophets. But the Israelites began to whine and complain. All the other nations had kings, and they wanted want one too.
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So God gave them a king. He gave them Saul, a man after their own heart. This man had all of the human ideals for a leader. He seemed to be a charismatic individual. He was strikingly handsome and stood a little bit taller than everyone else. He seemed to have a natural humility. Even the Spirit of God came upon him, and he prophesied with the prophets. He appeared to have it all together and start out quite well.
But then Saul began to disobey God, and God began to use another man named David. Filled with paranoia and jealousy, Saul dedicated his life, for all practical purposes, to destroying young David. In the end, Saul foolishly threw his life away. He summed up his life accurately when he said, "Indeed I have played the fool and erred exceedingly" (1 Samuel 26:21 NKJV). Saul had tremendous potential that was never realized, and it was his own fault. He did not finish well.
TRENDING: The civil war has already begun
There was the mighty Samson, who was blessed by God with superhuman strength that enabled him to vanquish his enemies with relative ease. On one occasion, he killed a thousand Philistines with the jawbone of a donkey he had picked up off the ground. But Samson was a he-man with a she weakness. He fell into sexual immorality and ultimately had his hair shaved. His hair was a symbol of his commitment to God and a part of the strength that God had given him. But he threw it all away. He was a man who started well but did not finish well.
Do you appreciate Greg Laurie's challenging spiritual insights? Check out the WND Superstore's extensive Laurie section of books and devotionals
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I think of Gideon, who was plucked from obscurity, yet he courageously led Israel into battle with a comparatively small army. God gave him great victory, but when his life came to an end, he lowered his standards and fell into immorality and pride. Gideon was yet another person who started well but did not finish that way.
Like Gideon, David was lifted from humble origins. He was beloved by God as a man after his own heart. But like his persecutor, Saul, David also played the fool. He almost threw his life away and came close to undoing the great amount of good he had done so far. But by the grace of God, he repented, came to his senses, and sort of limped across the finish line. David reaped the consequences of his sin for years to come, but God forgave him and gave him another chance.
Then you come to those who had everything going against them, but they still did incredibly well.
Nicodemus did not start well, but he finished very well. Here was a man who was searching for the answers in life, a man who was looking for truth, but he approached Jesus under the cover of night. Some would chide him for that, saying he was afraid to be seen. And maybe he was. Maybe he wasn't the boldest guy, but at least he came and heard what Jesus said. And what is interesting is that in the end, Nicodemus really came through.
Consider this: Judas Iscariot was a full-fledged disciple of Jesus' in good standing when Nicodemus was searching. Yet at the end of Jesus' ministry, Judas betrayed him and went and hanged himself. Nicodemus, on the other hand, stepped forward when all the disciples abandoned Jesus.
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After Jesus had been crucified, Joseph of Arimathea sought permission from Pilate to take the body of Jesus and bury it. But we also find this detail in John 19:39: "And Nicodemus, who at first came to Jesus by night, also came, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred pounds." When all of the other brave followers of Jesus – the ones who promised to be by his side – were in hiding, Nicodemus came through.
We find examples in the Old Testament as well. Although Joseph had numerous setbacks, he came through in the end with flying colors. Queen Esther looked as though she might miss the opportunity of a lifetime, but in the end, she came through. Rahab had one of the worst beginnings: She was a prostitute. In the end, she did so well that she made it into the Hall of Faith, as Hebrews 11 is known.
It is a frightening thought that you can do well for so many years and then do something wrong and undo a great amount of the good that you did in life. This serves as a reminder to us to hold the course.
What would sum up your life most effectively? I hope it could be said of you that you prayed or you worshiped or you walked with God, because we are all leaving a legacy.
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If you are not leaving the right kind of legacy, if you are not leaving a godly legacy, then it is not too late to change. As I mentioned earlier, the Bible gives a number of examples of people who made some mistakes in life – some big mistakes – but in the end, they finished well.
Maybe you would say, "I have made some mistakes. I started well. You should have seen me 20 years ago. But I am not doing so well now." Then change. You might have a humble beginning. You might even have a beginning that is quite weak. But in the end, you can come through. Get back in the race, and finish well. There is still another chance for you.


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Molecular Genotyping
Traditionally the identification of cultivars has been based on the visual assessment of a number of specific traits such as leaf shape and size, growth habit and flower colour. The advent of molecular techniques provides an opportunity to generate specific genome marker systems for the identification and study of cultivars. Whilst current work has mainly been centred around the use of random genomic markers such as microsatellites (SSR) the development of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP's) which can be associated with specific genes, provides an opportunity to predict specific characteristics of a cultivar on the basis of a laboratory assay.


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Statute of Westminster, 1931
The Statute of Westminster, 1931
- 1. Meaning of "Dominion" in this Act.
- 2. Validity of laws made by Parliament of a Dominion.
- 3. Power of Parliament of Dominion to legislate extra-territorially.
- 4. Parliament of United Kingdom not to legislate for Dominion except by consent.
- 5. Powers of Dominion Parliaments in relation to merchant shipping.
- 6. Powers of Dominion Parliaments in relation to Courts of Admiralty.
- 7. Saving for British North America Acts and applications of the Act to Canada.
- 8. Saving for Constitution Acts of Australia and New Zealand.
- 9. Saving with respect to States of Australia.
- 10. Certain sections of Act not to apply to Australia, New Zealand or Newfoundland unless adopted.
- 11. Meaning of "Colony" in future Acts.
- 12. Short title.
22 George V, c. 4 (U.K.)
An Act to give effect to certain resolutions passed by Imperial Conferences held in the years 1926 and 1930
[Assented to 11th December, 1931.]
And whereas it is meet and proper to set out by way of preamble to this Act that, inasmuch as the Crown is the symbol of the free association of the members of the British Commonwealth of Nations, and as they are united by a common allegiance to the Crown, it would be in accord with the established constitutional position of all the members of the Commonwealth in relation to one another that any alteration in the law touching the Succession to the Throne or the Royal Style and Titles shall hereafter require the assent as well of the Parliaments of all the Dominions as of the Parliament of the United Kingdom:
And whereas it is in accord with the established constitutional position that no law hereafter made by the Parliament of the United Kingdom shall extend to any of the said Dominions as part of the law of that Dominion otherwise than at the request and with the consent of that Dominion:
And whereas it is necessary for the ratifying, confirming and establishing of certain of the said declarations and resolutions of the said Conferences that a law be made and enacted in due form by authority of the Parliament of the United Kingdom:
And whereas the Dominion of Canada, the Commonwealth of Australia, the Dominion of New Zealand, the Union of South Africa, the Irish Free State and Newfoundland have severally requested and consented to the submission of a measure to the Parliament of the United Kingdom for making such provision with regard to the matters aforesaid as is hereafter in this Act contained:Now, therefore, be it enacted by the King's Most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:—
This work is in the public domain worldwide because the work was created by a public body of the United Kingdom with Crown Status and commercially published before 1970.
See Crown copyright artistic works, Crown copyright non-artistic works and List of Public Bodies with Crown Status.


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Popping in on the Personalities of GimmelwaldBy Rick Steves
As we've had to postpone our travels because of the pandemic, I believe a weekly dose of travel dreaming can be good medicine. Here's a reminder of the fun that awaits us in Europe at the other end of this crisis.
With the right attitude, rain in the Swiss Alps can be a blessing. When it rains, you set your sights not on the glistening summits and scenic trails but on the people who call the high country home.
Gimmelwald is a quirky little 120-person village perched on a mountain ridge just south of Interlaken. Here almost everyone has one of two surnames. Classified as an "avalanche zone," Gimmelwald hasn't developed like nearby resorts. It has only a handful of places for a traveler to sleep, all run by authentic Swiss personalities.
Walter runs Hotel Mittaghorn, up where the farm boys cut steep fields of hay. Walter is in his late 90s now…slowing down but shuffling on. His giggles and musings may be incomprehensible to most people, but it all makes sense to Walter. Tim from Britain looks after Walter and the hotel. Tim's in a brace after a paragliding accident. Hard landings seem to make him seem shorter each year.
Down in town, teachers Olle and Maria rent out two rooms bed-and-breakfast style. They cut me some hard alp cheese as we review village news. Maria says they've been recommended in my guidebook for more than a decade, and she doesn't understand why, in all that time, they've never had an African-American guest. She promises to give a free room to the first African-American family that comes. I wonder how that offer would look in my guidebook. (Anyway...if you're an African-American, you've got a free room here in paradise!)
Next, I drop in on Esther, the dynamo farm girl who now, with her expanded guesthouse, has the biggest business in the village. She asks if my describing her place as an "upscale mini-hostel" isn't a bit much. I agree.
For several years, Esther rented "sleep in the straw" spots across the street in her barn (when the cows are grazing in the high alp). When I listed it in my guidebook, I remember her telling me, "You should tell of the smell and the flies. Americans don't handle flies well. It smells like a barn. There's manure. You must tell them directly." With a frank write-up I told her, "If anyone complains, it's their own fault."
My favorite stop is the Mountain Hostel, run by Petra. After dark it's a glowing light of travel happiness in this sleeping village, filled with a likable, well-scrubbed gang — kids any parent would be thrilled to see their teen hang out with.
I meet Jeremy, a 15-year-old traveling with his dad, immersed in a raucous world of 18- to 25-year-olds. This is his first hostel...and we celebrate the fact.
A college student from San Diego — with big hair, a "carpe diem" tattoo on his arm, and a determination to be a great high school teacher — joins in the conversation. All agree the world needs more Dead Poets Society teachers. The topic turns to whether history as taught in the US is ethnocentric. A woman who left her five-year-old daughter sleeping in the barn (swatting flies) pipes up, "I'm a history teacher," and the conversation spins on.
I sit in the kitchen and chat with Petra while she cooks up her famous pizzas. Petra grew up next to a hostel in the next village and remembers loving the way American couples called each other "honey." She married local boy Wally, and together they've done wonders making the Gimmelwald hostel the moneyless mountain lovers' El Dorado.
Petra's only wish is that guests would split lumber for her wood-heated hot tub. I step out back to where a gleeful gang of happy hikers were standing in the tub, posing for photos. They look like a bundle of white asparagus. Popping into this happy scene, it occurs to me that if any place was a springboard for my career, it was this hostel back in the 1970s.
When I first came in 1976, there was no shower and goats lived downstairs. The previous owner, bent old Lena (who sounded like a goat when she talked), hobbled over once a day to collect 2 francs. Today it may cost more than 30 francs to sleep here, but Gimmelwald's hostel provides the same magic. I told Petra, you should have Lena's photo on the wall. Petra pointed to a space above the bar...and there she was. Lena's gone. There's not only a shower...there's a hot tub. But a generation after me, the essential joys of experiencing the Alps — and its people — remain unchanged.


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Club soccer is the most competitive type of soccer that is offered by the Northwestern Soccer. Our Club Program plays as Northwestern Lehigh Soccer Club (NLSC) providing a more competitive training and playing environment and as such, requires a greater commitment of time, energy and money from both the player and parents. Travel soccer is designed for players (and their families) interested in developing their abilities beyond the recreational level through hard work and a commitment to increased levels of soccer training and competition. Travel soccer requires playing games outside the club in a local league called the Lehigh Valley Youth Soccer League (LVYSL.org). Home matches are played on Northwestern soccer fields and teams travel to away matches against other clubs in the Eastern Pennsylvania area. Depending on the interests of the parents, coaches, and players there can also be travel to local, regional or out-of-state tournaments.
NLSC forms new travel teams in the spring of each year through open tryouts. Players are accepted to their team for a one year (12 month) commitment with the travel team. Teams are formed beginning at U9 and are at every age group which warrants a team. Tryouts are held at the end of the spring season (end of May/beginning of June) for the following fall-spring soccer year. Although most teams play both fall and spring seasons, the fall season is considered the "primary season". Players not selected by a competitive team are placed on a recreational team. Practices for travel teams are between 2 and 4 times per week with games on the weekends.
Soccer Age Chart - Click here to see the US Soccer Age Grouping Matrix for soccer age groups. Please note that at the U9 level your child is eligible to participate in one of two programs, Recreational or Travel. The program chosen will depend on your childs skill level and the desired level of competition. If you have any questions about this or anything else please contact the Northwestern Soccer director at
Tournament Championship Teams
2016 U11 Girls Boyertown Blast Champions
2014 U12 Girls Western Lehigh Fall Fest Champions
2014 U10 Boys Kidspeace Invitational Champions
2014 U10 Boys Hunter Meckes Champions
U09 Boys
2013 U14 Boys Whitewater Cup Champions
2013 U9 Boys Hunter Meckes Champions
2013 U12 Boys Quakertown Spring Invitational Champions
Quakertown High School
3v3 Winter Classic
U12 Boys
2011 LVU ICY Series
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Super Genius
Joined: 27 Jul 1999
Posts: 440
Posted: Thu Dec 09, 2004 3:27 am
Post subject: Mark's 2005 Schedule
Entourage starts shooting again in January, new episodes air in April with 14 episodes this season.
Four Brothers starts shooting in January.
Italian Job 2 is still writing the script.
Mark is going to be the ambassador to a Caribbean cruise for charity in June (not necessarily attending). Management will put us in touch with the appropriate people when details are worked out and we can link up to their site, etc.
That's all for now.
Happy Holidays!
Mark Shields
[This message has been edited by Mark Shields (edited December 09, 2004).]
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Site Admin
Joined: 28 Jul 1999
Posts: 1723
Location: San Francisco, CA
Posted: Fri Jan 07, 2005 9:02 pm
Post subject:
Official Press release on the "Untitled Mark Wahlberg Project" aka Four Brothers.
Lead Casting Completed on 'Untitled Mark Wahlberg Project'
Tyrese Gibson, Andre Benjamin and Garrett Hedlund Join Mark Wahlberg in Action Drama Directed By John Singleton
HOLLYWOOD, Calif., Jan. 7 /PRNewswire/ -- Lead casting has been completed
on "Untitled Mark Wahlberg Project," an action drama to be directed by John
Singleton about four adopted brothers who band together to avenge the murder
of their mother. Joining Mark Wahlberg, who was most recently seen on the big
screen in "I Heart Huckabees" and Paramount's "The Italian Job" are Tyrese
Gibson, Andre Benjamin, and Garrett Hedlund. Principal photography begins in
Toronto on January 10.
Tyrese Gibson, who will next be seen in the upcoming "Annapolis,"
previously starred in Singleton's "2 Fast 2 Furious." Andre Benjamin, also
known as Andre 3000, one half of the hip hop duo Outkast, will next be seen in
"Be Cool," the upcoming sequel to "Get Shorty." Garrett Hedlund, who made his
motion picture debut as part of the all-star cast in "Troy," was most recently
seen in "Friday Night Lights."
Paramount Pictures presents "Untitled Mark Wahlberg Project," a di
Bonaventura Pictures Production of a John Singleton Film. Directed by John
Singleton from a screenplay by David Elliot & Paul Lovett, the film is
produced by Lorenzo di Bonaventura and executive produced by Ric Kidney.
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Site Admin
Joined: 28 Jul 1999
Posts: 1723
Location: San Francisco, CA
Posted: Tue Jan 11, 2005 11:23 am
Post subject:
Beckinsale, Grace, Hoffman, Hudson, Prince, Usher & Wahlberg Set as Presenters at Golden Globe Awards
Tuesday January 11, 10:38 am ET
"The 62nd Annual Golden Globe Awards'' Will Be Telecast Live On NBC Sunday, January 16
HOLLYWOOD--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 11, 2005--Kate Beckinsale, Topher Grace, Dustin Hoffman, Kate Hudson, Prince, Usher and
Mark Wahlberg
have been set as presenters at the 62nd Annual Golden Globe Awards to be telecast live on NBC Sunday, January 16 (8 - 11:00 p.m. EST) at the Beverly Hilton Hotel. They join previously-announced presenters Patricia Arquette, Halle Berry, Will Ferrell, Samuel L. Jackson, Diane Keaton, Megan Mullally, Al Pacino, Tim Robbins, Meryl Streep, Charlize Theron, Naomi Watts and Renee Zellweger.
Robin Williams will receive this year's Cecil B. DeMille Award from the Hollywood Foreign Press Association for his "outstanding contribution to the entertainment field."
The Golden Globe Awards, regarded worldwide as The Hollywood Party of the Year, will be seen in more than 150 countries worldwide and is one of the few awards ceremonies that span both television and motion picture achievements.
The event's rating growth has exceeded 500% since it became an annual event on NBC ten years ago. Last January's telecast was one of 2004's top two highest-rated awards telecasts.
The special will be produced by **** clark productions in association with the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. Lorenzo Soria is President of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. **** Clark and Barry Adelman are executive producers. Al Schwartz is consulting producer. Ken Shapiro is producer. Ron Weed is co-producer.
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Beef Tenderloin with Niman Ranch Lardo over Roast Jumbo Asparagus and Glazed Shallots
For Larded Tenderloin:
Lay the fillet flat. Slice it two times length-wise, ¾ of the way through the tenderloin. Make sure the slices are equally spaced from one another and the top and bottom of the fillet. Open up the fillet and sprinkle it with transglutaminase, completely covering the interior. Place a slice of lardo inside each incision and roll the fillet to its original shape. Tie the beef with butcher's twine several times to secure. Then roll it in plastic wrap, tie the ends with butcher's twine and let it rest at least 24 hours.
On the day of preparation, season the beef with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Roast the beef over an open grill at a high temperature until medium rare, turning the fillet every several minutes.
For Glazed Shallots and Roast Asparagus:
Preheat the oven to 425ºF. Cut 1 inch of the root off the asparagus and discard. Toss the rest with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Lay the asparagus out in an oven-safe pan and roast them for 5 minutes. Remove the asparagus, let cool and then cut them into three sections on a sharp bias. Toss the shallots to coat heavily with oil, salt, and pepper. Roast for 15 minutes; let cool. Squeeze the outer skin off of the shallots. Toss with the asparagus and reserve.
Green Asparagus Foam:
Bring 3 quarts of water and ½ cup salt to a boil in a 1-gallon pot. Drop in the asparagus and spinach and blanch until the asparagus is tender. Quickly remove from the water, place in a large bowl and cover with ice. Pour just a little of the salted water over the top to cool and season the asparagus. Remove the spinach and asparagus from the water and squeeze off any extra moisture. Bring the cream and chicken stock to a boil. Place the asparagus and spinach in a blender with the cream and stock. Blend until the asparagus and spinach are liquefied. Strain through a fine strainer and season with salt.
For Oxtail Ragout:
Preheat oven to 250ºF. Sear all sides of the tails heavily in a large roasting pan coated with oil until dark brown and crispy. Remove and place in oven-safe pan. Place the chopped vegetables, thyme, garlic head, bay leaf and peppercorns into the hot pan and stir with a wooden spoon until the bottom of the pan comes clean and the vegetables caramelize deeply. Add the tomato paste and brown until most of the moisture is removed and the paste threatens to burn onto the bottom of the pan. Quickly add the red wine and bring to a boil. Add the veal stock and bring to a boil again. Pour over the tails and cover with plastic wrap and then aluminum foil. Cook in the oven for 6 hours or until the meat falls off the bone and the fat is barely holding on to the meat. Place the tails in another pan and strain the stock from the first pan to remove the vegetables and add it to the meat to let it cool in its own stock. Let the meat come to room temperature and then pick everything from the bones. Strain the stock again and reserve. In a medium sauce pot large enough to comfortably hold all of the stock from above turn to low heat and add in one tablespoon butter, thyme, shallots and chopped garlic. Cook on low heat until the garlic threatens to burn; then add in the stock. Reduce by half and then add in the tail meat and the rest of the butter.
To Assemble and Serve:
As the fillet is cooking, heat the sauce. Add the asparagus and shallots to the ragout, then divide it among six bowls. When the fillet is ready, let it rest for 5 minutes. Slice it into six (7-ounce) fillets. Rest the fillets on top of the ragout. With a hand blender, froth up the asparagus foam. Use as garnish on plate with fresh chervil.
Chef John Besh
- Besh Restaurant Group
301 Tchoupitoulas Street
New Orleans, LA 70130


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This recipe was sent in by Paulina Ashkenazi, our culinary school student, whose family raves about this gourmet savory dish.
By Paulina Ashkenazi
For the marmalade:
- 2 pounds red onion thinly sliced (about 4 cups)
- 3 cups red wine
- 6 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 4 table spoons balsamic vinegar
- 5 tablespoons honey
- 4 teaspoons whole black peppercorns
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 4 whole cloves (optional)
- 1 sprig fresh rosemary finely chopped
In a deep sauté pan combine all the ingredients with 1 cup water, bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer sturing a few times until liquid has reduced to a syrupy glaze (about 1 hour). Discard cloves.
For the tofu
1 pound extra firm tofu, sliced into 4 slabs
warm a large nonstick skillet over high heat. Add the tofu to the pan and sprinkle with salt. Cooked until browned on each side(about 3 minutes per side)
Spoon marmalade over the tofu and serve.


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Our model Stacey is a fitness instructor operating a private fitness club called "Boot Camp" which unsurprisingly sets the ground work for our latest flick.
As the commandant and physique-extraordinaire of Boot Camp, Stacey strives to set a good example for all her cadets, first by eagerly volunteering herself to the chair for a flat top followed by a crewcut.
Duration: 24:36 minutes
File size: 180.01 mb
Playback format: MP4
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For Download:PC/MAC - MP4


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Folk-troubador Eugene McGuinness has been away for a little while, but now he has returned. There's a new album on the way, due in 2012, but before that there's a taste of what is to come with a new track. The new track is called 'Lion' and can be downloaded for free from his official website in exchange for an e-mail address, such is the way these days.
If you want to know Mr McGuinness's thoughts on the song, here is what he has to say about it: "I really don't know what to say about this one. It's just meant to be the biggest 'fuck off' my soul could muster." Fair enough.
As you would have guessed from this title, there is also a video for the track, which can be seen below:


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2. Orders shipped to regions outside of Hong Kong SAR may be subject to customs duties, taxes and fees levied by the destination country. These fees are not included in the price of our products.
3. No promotions can be applied to this item.
- L 7cm
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The British Academy for the humanities and social sciences was established by Royal Charter in 1902.
Its purpose is to inspire, recognise and support excellence and high achievement in the humanities and social sciences, throughout the UK and internationally, and to champion their role and value.
With an international reputation for its support of excellence in academic scholarship, the British Academy produces academic publications that are designed to stimulate curiosity, inspire and develop future generations of scholars, and encourage appreciation of the social and cultural value of these disciplines.
British Academy Scholarship Online is an online collection of academic monographs and essay collections from the distinguished British Academy list.
'For over a hundred years, the Proceedings of the British Academy series has published some of the most important essays in the humanities and social sciences. Volumes in this flagship series are strongly represented in this new update,' says Professor Chris Wickham FBA, Publications Secretary at the British Academy, 2009 - 2014.
British Academy Scholarship Online is available through the University Press Scholarship Online platform. Find out more about UPSO, and read our FAQs for troubleshooting guidance on how to use the site.


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The Annual Troop Auctionstevejb68 on December 16, 2013 in Advancement, Program
I was looking for a way to further excite the Boy Scouts of Troop 68 to attend troop activities and earn their advancement when I came up with the idea of having a troop auction for prizes at the end of the year. I do not remember if I got the idea from another troop or if I came up with it myself. I do know that it has been a part of our program for over twenty years, and that other Scouts leaders have developed their own auction programs after listening to how Troop 68 conducts theirs.
Here is how it works. The Scouts earn "troop bucks" each time they go on an outing and for each merit badge and rank they earn during the year. They earn $25 per troop outing. They earn $50 for each merit badge. They earn $100 for attaining Tenderfoot, Second Class, or First Class; $150 for attaining Star or Life Rank; and $200 for reaching the rank of Eagle Scout. These bucks are then used to bid on prizes during the "troop auction" held after the December court of honor.
When I first began doing the auction I would hand out troop bucks at each court of honor. The bucks were actually Monopoly money with our troop stamp stamped over the top of it so the boys could not use Monopoly money from their own games. The Scouts had to store the money themselves. If they lost it it would not be replaced.
The Monopoly money worked well for a few years, but then Monopoly money disappeared from store shelves. Another problem was that brothers started pooling their money together to bid on the bigger prizes. That was not the way the bucks were meant to be used and was very unfair to those Scouts who did not have brothers in the troop.
I created a troop bucks certificate on the computer to replace the Monopoly money. The certificate contained the Scout's name. amount earned, and the year earned. Certificates could only be used by the person who's name appeared on it. The year on the certificate helped to keep things honest for the one prize we auctioned for which only bucks earned that year could be used to bid. I also awarded the certificate once a year, at the December court of honor. That created less work for me and less chance of Scouts losing the bucks before the year's last court of honor.
Any unused troop bucks could be saved to be used another year on regular prizes. Once a Scout turned 18 years old his troop bucks became non-valid. It was interesting to watch older Scouts try to use up any troop bucks they owned at their last auction before they turned eighteen. Bidding is done in $5 increments.
We I started the troop auction we based the amount spent on prizes by the amount of advancement earned during the year. A certain amount would be added to the kitty for each merit badge and rank. The more the Scouts advanced, the more money was thrown into the kitty, and the more prizes or bigger prizes could be bought. That worked well until the troop started shrinking. Ten Scouts had trouble earning a large fund so we changed the financing to a lump some. I also based the number of prizes on the number of Scouts currently enrolled in the program. We did not need 30 prizes when we only had eight Scouts.
I also wanted to keep the cost of the auction down so I began looking for prizes throughout the year, not just a month before the auction. I started getting pretty good and finding nice items for free or little cost.
Each auction contains some "traditional" items. There is the Boy Scout Handbook, because someone is going to wear theirs out during the year. Boy Scout bolo ties and merit badge sashes have also been used as prizes on a regular basis. I usually try to include some sort of camping gear. And then there are some fun prizes, of course.
Tonight is Troop 68's final court of honor for the year. The troop auction will immediately follow it. The picture posted with this article shows most of the prizes which will be auctioned. A merit badges sash is missing, as is the $20 cash prize for which only 2013 troop bucks will be allowed to be used to bid. There will be a lot of first time bidders at this auction. It should be a good night.
Has your troop does anything like this as a part of your program?


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Article content
Tens of thousands of people protested against France's new gay marriage law in central Paris on Sunday, and police clashed with right-wing demonstrators.
The law came into force over a week ago, but organizers decided to go ahead with the long-planned demonstration to show their continued opposition as well as their frustration with President Francois Hollande, who had made legalizing gay marriage one of his keynote campaign pledges in last year's election.
tap here to see other videos from our team.
Police arrest 100 right-wing demonstrators as tens of thousands protest France's new gay marriage law Back to video
Marchers set off from three separate points across Paris, and by early evening they filled the Invalides esplanade just across the Seine River from the Champs Elysees.
As night fell, several hundred protesters clashed with police, throwing bottles and chasing journalists.
Interior Minister Manuel Valls said police had arrested around 100 far-right protesters who refused to leave following the end of the demonstration.
Meanwhile, in southern France, the 66th Cannes Film Festival gave the Palm d'Or, its top honor, to "Blue is the Warmest Color: The Life of Adele," a French film about a tender, sensual lesbian romance.
Police estimated around 150,000 people took part in the demonstration in Paris, but march organizers claimed on their Twitter account that more than a million people did.
A similar protest in March drew about 300,000.
Around 5,000 police were on duty Sunday because previous anti-gay marriage protests also had seen clashes between far-right protesters and the police.


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White Sox players would like to see Peavy stay
CHICAGO -- Despite Jake Peavy becoming a prime trade target before the July 31 non-waiver Trade Deadline, with a number of scouts watching his six solid innings in Saturday's 10-6 victory, manager Robin Ventura made his feelings crystal clear postgame that he hopes Peavy remains in Chicago.
Fellow members of the rotation echo Ventura's sentiments, knowing that Peavy has as much value as part of the team as he does as a chip to be dealt.
"Just having his leadership, having his voice, he's a competitor," said White Sox All-Star hurler Chris Sale of Peavy. "That's the one thing we have all learned more than anything from him, that no matter if it's going good or bad, you have to go out and compete.
"The prime example was [Saturday] night. He gives up two earned runs, four total. We were down 4-0 in the third and he kept fighting. He kept them right there and we ended up winning the game. It just shows what kind of person he is and he practices what he preaches."
Dylan Axelrod, who was recently moved to the bullpen after making 18 starts this season, goes back to the Padres' days together with Peavy. Axelrod talked about Peavy's competitiveness and the way he prepares for every start as valuable skills for younger pitchers to follow.
"His scouting reports of the other team. His ideas about pitching, like he'll share his insights about just how to pitch on the bench sitting next to him," Axelrod said. "He's definitely willing to talk to you and help you out.
"For me, personally he's been awesome. He's always been open to me and helped me out anyway he can. He's always in my ear, saying something that's constructive to help me out."


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Norton, Vermont
|This article is a stub. Help us to expand it by contributing your knowledge. For county and town page guidelines, visit U.S. County Page Content Suggestions.
Norton is a town in Essex county, Vermont. It was formed in 1779 in Vt. from Orange county. The probate and court district for Norton is Essex. For more information, contact the town at VT Rt. 114 S, Norton 05907. On the attached map, Norton is shown as 1 in Essex county.
For information about the state of Vermont see Vermont Family History Research.


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Galapagos Islands VacationsThe Galapagos Islands are known for their enormous variety of wildlife in an unspoiled and beautiful environment. On our escorted Galapagos tours, you'll see sea lions and sea turtles, fur seals and iguanas, Darwin's finches and swallow-tailed gulls, magnificent frigates and blue-footed boobies, and much more.
Snorkeling with sea turtles and kayaking are popular excursions. Most itineraries call at the Charles Darwin Research Station to learn about efforts to restore the archipelago's giant tortoise population.
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Trips are rated according to the quality of accommodations, the number of included amenities and activities, and the level of service delivered. The vacations below are categorized according to the industry rating scale (budget, first class and deluxe). Click any vacation name for the itinerary, dates and prices.
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** The prices shown are U.S. dollars per person, based on double occupancy, and subject to availability. Prices quoted for land/cruise arrangements are subject to increase without notice. Once we have received your deposit, land/cruise prices are guaranteed. Air prices quoted via phone or email are subject to increase and are guaranteed only from the time that full payment is received. Also, air prices or air promotions mentioned on this site or on the phone do not include baggage fees imposed by airlines.


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Dorylus Dorylus gribodoi Scientific classification Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Arthropoda Class: Insecta Order: Hymenoptera Family: Formicidae Subfamily: Ecitoninae Tribe: Dorylini Genus: Dorylus
Fabricius, 1793
See text
Diversity > 60 species
The army ant genus Dorylus, also known as driver ants, safari ants, or siafu, is found primarily in central and east Africa, although the range also extends to tropical Asia. The term siafu is a loanword from Swahili,[1] and is one of numerous similar words from regional Bantu languages used by indigenous peoples to describe various species of these ants. Unlike the New World members of the subfamily Ecitoninae, members of this genus do form temporary anthills lasting from a few days up to three months. Each colony can contain over 20 million individuals. As with their New World counterparts, there is a soldier class among the workers, which is larger, with a very large head and pincer-like mandibles. They are capable of stinging, but very rarely do so, relying instead on their powerful shearing jaws.[2]
Life cycle
Seasonally, when food supplies become short, they leave the hill and form marching columns of up to 50,000,000 ants which are considered a menace to people, though they can be easily avoided; a column can only travel about 20 metres in an hour. It is for those unable to move, or when the columns pass through homes, that there is the greatest risk. There have been reported cases of people— usually the young, infirm, or otherwise debilitated— being killed and eventually consumed by them, often dying of asphyxiation as the ants crowd into the esophagus and block the passage of air.[3] Their presence is, conversely, beneficial to certain human communities, such as the Maasai, as they perform a pest prevention service in farming communities, consuming the majority of other crop-pests, from insects to large rats.[2]
The characteristic long columns of ants will fiercely defend against anything that encounters them.[2] Columns are arranged with the smaller ants being flanked by the larger soldier ants. These automatically take up positions as sentries, and set a perimeter corridor in which the smaller ants can run safely. Their bite is severely painful, each soldier leaving two puncture wounds when removed. Removal is difficult, however, as their jaws are extremely strong, and one can pull a soldier ant in two without it releasing its hold. Large numbers of ants can kill small or immobilized animals and eat the flesh. A large part of their diet is earthworms. All Dorylus species are blind, though they, like most varieties of ants, communicate primarily through pheromones.[2]
In mating season alates (winged queens and drones) are formed. The drones are larger than the soldiers and the queens are much larger. They mate on the wing, and the queens go off to establish new colonies. As with most ants, workers and soldiers are sterile (non-reproducing) females.[2]
Male driver ants, sometimes known as "sausage flies" (a term also applied to males of New World ecitonines) due to their bloated, sausage-like abdomens, are the largest known ants, and were originally believed to be members of a different species. Males leave the colony soon after hatching, but are drawn to the scent trail left by a column of siafu once it reaches sexual maturity. When a colony of driver ants encounters a male, they tear its wings off and carry it back to the nest to be mated with a virgin queen. As with all ants, the males die shortly afterward.[2]
Such is the strength of the ant's jaws that in East Africa they are used as natural, emergency sutures. Various East African indigenous tribal peoples (e.g. Maasai moran), when suffering from a gash in the bush, will use the soldiers to stitch the wound by getting the ants to bite on both sides of the gash, then breaking off the body. This use of ants as makeshift surgical staples creates a seal that can hold for days at a time, and the procedure can be repeated if necessary, allowing natural healing to commence.[4][5]
Several species in this genus carry out raids on termitaria, paralysing or killing some of the termites and carting them back to the nest.[6]
- D. acutus Santschi, 1937
- D. aethiopicus Emery, 1895
- D. affinis Shuckard, 1840
- D. agressor Santschi, 1923
- D. alluaudi Santschi, 1914
- D. atratus Smith, 1859
- D. atriceps Shuckard, 1840
- D. attenuatus Shuckard, 1840
- D. bequaerti Forel, 1913
- D. bishyiganus (Boven, 1972)
- D. braunsi Emery, 1895
- D. brevipennis Emery, 1895
- D. brevis Santschi, 1919
- D. buyssoni Santschi, 1910
- D. congolensis Santschi, 1910
- D. conradti Emery, 1895
- D. depilis Emery, 1895
- D. diadema Gerstaecker, 1859
- D. distinctus Santschi, 1910
- D. ductor Santschi, 1939
- D. emeryi Mayr, 1896
- D. erraticus (Smith, 1865)
- D. faurei Arnold, 1946
- D. fimbriatus (Shuckard, 1840)
- D. fulvus (Westwood, 1839)
- D. funereus Emery, 1895
- D. furcatus (Gerstaecker, 1872)
- D. fuscipennis (Emery, 1892)
- D. gaudens Santschi, 1919
- D. ghanensis Boven, 1975
- D. gribodoi Emery, 1892 – includes D. gerstaeckeri Emery, 1895
- D. helvolus (Linnaeus, 1764)
- D. katanensis Stitz, 1911
- D. kohli Wasmann, 1904
- D. labiatus Shuckard, 1840
- D. laevigatus (Smith, 1857)
- D. lamottei Bernard, 1953
- D. leo Santschi, 1919
- D. mandibularis Mayr, 1896
- D. mayri Santschi, 1912
- D. moestus Emery, 1895
- D. molestus Wheeler, 1922
- D. montanus Santschi, 1910
- D. niarembensis (Boven, 1972)
- D. nigricans Illiger, 1802
- D. ocellatus (Stitz, 1910)
- D. orientalis Westwood, 1835
- D. politus Emery, 1901
- D. rufescens Santschi, 1915
- D. savagei Emery, 1895
- D. schoutedeni Santschi, 1923
- D. spininodis Emery, 1901
- D. stadelmanni Emery, 1895
- D. stanleyi Forel, 1909
- D. staudingeri Emery, 1895
- D. striatidens Santschi, 1910
- D. termitarius Wasmann, 1911
- D. titan Santschi, 1923
- D. vishnui Wheeler, 1913
- D. westwoodii (Shuckard, 1840)
- D. wilverthi Emery, 1899
- Rebel Hafner
See also
- ^ Swahili translation
- ^ a b c d e f Hölldobler, Bert; Wilson, Edward O. (1990). The Ants. Belknap Press of Harvard University Press. ISBN 0-674-04075-9.
- ^ Master of the Killer Ants
- ^ Gottrup, F. & David Leaper (2004). "Wound healing: historical aspects" (PDF). EWMA Journal 4 (2): p. 22. http://ewma.org/fileadmin/user_upload/EWMA/pdf/journals/EWMA_Journal_Vol_4_No_2.pdf.
- ^ Gudger, E. W. (1925). "Stitching Wounds With the Mandibles of Ants and Beetles.". Journal of the American Medical Association 84: pp. 1861–64.
- ^ Biotropics
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Nadine Fahoum Wins Title at Wake Forest Invitational
By ODU Athletics
Sept. 27, 2009
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. -- Junior Lady Monarch tennis player Nadine Fahoum won the A Singles title at the Wake Forest Invitational today, defeating Illinois' Rachael White in straight sets to bring home the win.
ODU's 116th ranked Fahoum went 4-0 at the tournament, never having to see a third set. After advancing to the semifinals on Friday, Fahoum won a 6-1, 6-1 match on Saturday against Wake Forest's Martina Pavalec, who had upset the 19th ranked female singles player in the nation the day before. This morning, she faced White in the finals and won in straight sets, 6-4, 6-1.
In B singles, ODU's Irina Dementyeva made it to the championship match, facing Wake Forest's Kathryn Talbert, but dropped the match 6-4, 6-0. She defeated Richmond's Helen Cunningham in the semifinals, 6-1, 6-3.
Also in B singles, Diana Ivanova won one of her two matches on Sunday against Davidson's Samantha Galainena, 6-1, 6-2. Juliana Pires defeated Davidson's Ali Gores after dropping the first set, 6-7, 6-4, 10-5.
Finally, for ODU, Marija Citic took third place in C Singles by defeating Richmond's Mariana Arana, 6-2, 4-6, 10-3.
ODU Results:
A Singles:
Quarterfinals: #116 Fahoum (ODU) def. Plotkin (Duke) 6-2, 6-3
Semifinals: #116 Fahoum (ODU) def. Pavalec (WFU) 6-1, 6-1
Finals: #116 Fahoum (ODU) def. White (IL) 6-4, 6-1
B Singles:
Quarterfinals: Dementyeva (ODU) def. Reveche (WFU) 4-6, 6-3, 6-4
Semifinals: Dementyeva (ODU) def. Cunningham (RICH) 6-1, 6-3
Finals: Talbert (WFU) def. Dementyeva (ODU) 6-4, 6-0
Quarterfinals: Gorny (Duke) def. Ivanova (ODU) 7-5, 6-1
Consolation: Matuszczyk (RICH) def. Ivanova (ODU) def.
Consolatoin: Ivanova (ODU) def. Galainena (DAV) 6-1, 6-2
Quarterfinals: Cunningham (RICH) def. Pires (ODU) 3-6, 6-1, 7-5
Consolation: Reveche (WFU) def. Pires (ODU) 6-1, 6-4
Consolation: Pires (ODU) def. Gores (DAV) 6-7, 6-4, 10-5
C Singles:
Quarterfinals: Citic (ODU) def. Crystal (RICH) 1-6, 6-2, 7-6 (3)
Semifinals: Allin (IL) def. Citic (ODU) 6-0, 6-3
Third Place Match: Citic (ODU) def. M. Arana (RICH) 6-2, 4-6, 10-3


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Celebrating the 50th anniversary of The Rolling Stones, this retrospective traces the film careers of Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Charlie Watts, and Ronnie Wood, as well as former band members Brian Jones, Mick Taylor, and Bill Wyman, both collectively and individually as composers, performers, producers, and actors. Featuring such rarities as Peter Whitehead's The Rolling Stones Charlie Is My Darling—Ireland 1965 (1965/2012)—which makes its debut after an absence of more than 45 years with added, never-before-seen footage directed and restored by Mick Gochanour and producer Robin Klein—and Robert Frank's Cocksucker Blues (1972), the exhibition chronicles the band from the mid-1960s until today through documentaries, fiction features, concert films, music videos, experimental shorts, and archival footage.
The Rolling Stones have worked with some of the most original and iconoclastic directors of their generation. Even with the passing years, their collaborations with Jean-Luc Godard, Kenneth Anger, Albert and David Maysles, Charlotte Zwerin, Martin Scorsese, and Hal Ashby have lost none of their raw, atavistic energy or thrilling sense of artistic experimentation.
This retrospective also includes the Stones' landmark concert appearances in The T.A.M.I. Show (1964), The Stones in the Park (1969), Ladies & Gentlemen: The Rolling Stones (1974), The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus (1968/1996), Let's Spend the Night Together (1983), and Shine a Light (2008); as well as the Tom Stoppard-scripted wartime spy thriller Enigma (2001), directed by Michael Apted and produced by Mick Jagger; and music videos directed by David Fincher, Michel Gondry, Michael Lindsay-Hogg, Julien Temple, Peter Whitehead, and others.
The influence of The Rolling Stones on music, cinema, art, and even politics over the past half century cannot be overestimated. As Scorsese has observed, "In my formative years, before I made Mean Streets even, the Rolling Stones created a well of inspiration that became a part of my consciousness. Their music shapes the images I see when I'm planning a movie—camera movements, lighting, tone, attitude."
Organized by Joshua Siegel, Associate Curator, Department of Film, The Museum of Modern Art.


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Civics in the Common Core
Now is the time to make real the promise of democracy, and transform our pending national elegy into a creative psalm of brotherhood.—Martin Luther King Jr., Letter From Birmingham Jail (1963)
This year, educators and their fellow citizens celebrate the 50th anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.'s ethereal "I Have a Dream" speech and his prophetic "Letter From Birmingham Jail." The unbridled urgency of King's passion for justice almost jumps from the page, transcending time and inspiring us today to build civically engaging schools for all our children.
In 1963, King penned his letter on the margins of a newspaper in the confines of his "narrow" jail cell during the pivotal civil rights march on Birmingham, Ala. His still-unfulfilled ultimatum, "Now is the time to make real the promise of democracy," could be the mission statement for the swelling 21st-century "new civics" movement, which is pressing to restore civics in America's schools.
Civics proponents' wishes have fallen mostly on deaf ears. Through promotion of the Common Core State Standards, the Obama administration and its allies orchestrated one of the most dramatic assertions of federal power into K-12 education since Brown v. Board of Education in 1954, but failed to promote civics where it counts—in the common core's package of standards and assessments. These documents determine what will be taught, and what will not be taught, to more than 40 million children across the United States. Because the core is barren of civics—the word does not appear in the 66-page standards document for English/language arts—the imperatives of the "not tested, not taught" mindset will diminish time for citizenship education, as it did under the No Child Left Behind Act.
In honor of Martin Luther King's faith in education's democratizing power, we should insist that civics be added to the core's standards and unfinished assessments. A first civics standard could cover democracy, scaffolding K-12 students toward expertise in democratic citizenship. Instead of high-stakes tests, the core could promote authentic assessments, such as participation in a model United Nations simulation.
A half-century after his iconic address in Washington, King's dream seems worse than deferred. It seems forgotten. Racial and socioeconomic segregation in K-12 schools is now worse than it was in the 1970s. In the NCLB era, nearly 14 million students dropped out of school (an average of 7,000 per day), and gaps between the academic performance of white and minority students persist. In too many communities, a specter of hopelessness and violence haunts young people. A student I was fond of was shot, in the back, this spring while I was writing this essay. Since 2008 in Chicago, more than 530 young people under the age of 21 have been killed.
NCLB's high-stakes, civics-free stance absolutely failed our children and our democracy. In 2010, approximately three-quarters of the 4th, 8th, and 12th graders who took the National Assessment of Educational Progress civics test failed to score "proficient."
Time is a stern master. Learning to operate democracy's levers requires sustained K-12 attention. But under NCLB, precious minutes for social studies disappeared as principals anxious about "adequate yearly progress" narrowed curricula to test-prep kids in math and literacy boot camps. This ongoing trend, which is disproportionately common in schools in poor communities, contributes to the widening civics gap. Will the core be NCLB redux?
If so, it will be because of "the appalling silence of good people," as King suggested in his letter. How much longer can we ignore the U.S. Supreme Court's mandate in Brown that "education ... is a right which must be made available to all on equal terms"?
Civics education is the silver bullet for America's schools. It is a pedagogical imperative because it often fuels tremendous academic growth by stimulating and leveraging the dynamic interplay of cognitive and, especially, affective, or emotional, learning. In a 10-paper research compendium published in 2011, the American Enterprise Institute asserted that civic literacy was just as critical to student success as literacy in math and English.
Civics benefits teachers and administrators as well as students. It is an interdisciplinary silo-buster—civics texts and principles easily link all subjects and grades while aligning with the common core's emphasis on formulating evidence-based claims from nonfiction readings. In 23 years as a Seattle high school teacher, I've seen civics-centric history and English classes empower perhaps thousands of low-income, predominantly black students to make enormous intellectual, personal, and academic strides. Civics involves the study of citizenship, government, ethics, current events, and politics. It engages and empowers struggling learners—especially hard-to-reach boys—because it is verbal, current, and contentious.
Such will be the atmosphere this fall when teachers address the shooting death of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin and frame the case's issues of race, law, and politics within the thematic structures of their courses. Students' voices need to be heard. By confronting sometimes combustible "teachable moments" like the Martin case, civics-minded teachers honor their students' concerns, which helps build meaningful, productive classroom relationships. Yet without civics standards and school cultures that encourage teachers to use class time for such seminal current events, tragedies like the Trayvon Martin case are too often glossed over or ignored completely. When this happens, everyone loses. But thoughtful analysis challenges students to develop, and back up, their own civic credo or code. This is personalized education writ large.
When civics becomes service, magic happens. In 11 years of overseeing students' service-learning projects at our state legislature, I've seen at-risk students regularly stand up for the common good. For example, in 2007, my juniors petitioned, lobbied, and testified at the state Capitol to help pass legislation creating a college-bound scholarship for low-income students. Since then, this scholarship has helped many of their younger siblings and friends attend college.
Without civics, the common core is simply a gilded NCLB. As the 18-year-old King wrote while attending Morehouse College: "Intelligence is not enough. Intelligence plus character—that is the goal of true education." Civics captures this—it offers thoughtful analysis of democracy's timeless tensions, which often unearths students' higher character as they learn to value integrity, compassion, and their unique conception of patriotism and the common good.
But mark "character" absent from the common-core. In its website, the core's narrow mission statement sounds less like a set of learning expectations for children than a parody of a sterile business plan. It talks about preparing America's students "for success in college and careers" so "our communities will be best positioned to compete successfully in the global economy." Really? Wouldn't preparing America's students in order "to be successful, virtuous members of America's workforce and democracy" be more appropriate? As Abraham Lincoln warned, "The philosophy of the schoolroom in one generation will be the philosophy of government in the next."
A citizenship component in the common standards would promote a more open-minded, student-centered philosophy of education for the entire core cohort. While civics in the core is an imperfect solution, it is a viable, scalable one because it accesses a system with an enormous infrastructure, corporate backing, and absolute support in the Obama administration. And, should the common core collapse, at least civics will have been woven into lessons nationwide.
A corollary approach is to invite David Coleman, the College Board's chief executive officer, to include civics in the board's realignment of the SAT with the core.
And, what is not taught is neither learned nor lived. If our schools are the nurseries of democracy, we must patiently teach our children the complex and rewarding arts of citizenship. Soon, they will reinvigorate our schools and our polity with their blunt honesty, fresh thinking, and, especially, their infectious idealism.
In his letter from Birmingham, when King invokes the Brown decision's rallying cry, "Justice too long delayed is justice denied," he is speaking to us. He is challenging us, a half-century later, to finally give our nation's children the skills and the platform to "make real the promise of democracy."
Let's heed his call. Let's let their voices be heard!
Vol. 32, Issue 37, Pages 33, 36Published in Print: August 7, 2013, as Civics in the Core
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File Photo: Mir Imran/KI
The PDP-BJP regime made promises aplenty when it took power two years ago. Has it delivered on any?
Two years is a reasonable time to assess a government's work, or at the least get a measure of its overall direction. As the PDP-BJP regime in Jammu and Kashmir completes two years in March, how has it performed? Specifically, how is implementation of the Agenda of Alliance, the coalition's governance blueprint, going?
Not well, really. Little, if any, progress has been made on most of the key promises made in the AoA.
Revocation of AFSPA
Take the removal of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act from Kashmir. Even two years into its term, the PDP leadership is desperately seeking to buy ever more time to show any perceived progress on the emotive issue.
About AFSPA, the AoA reads: "The coalition government will examine the need for denotifying 'disturbed areas'. This, as a consequence, would enable the Union Government to take a final view on the continuation of AFSPA in these areas."
While the central government led by the BJP, not unexpectedly, has vocally opposed removal of the draconian law, the PDP on its part hasn't done much either. The AoA mandates the state government to review the application of the Disturbed Areas Act – the basis for imposing AFSPA – but the Mehbooba Mufti regime has not even talked about it so far.
On July 24, 2016, the chief minister had suggested experimentally revoking AFSPA from certain areas as a step towards improving the situation. "As far as AFSPA is concerned, we are not saying it should be revoked in one go. But, as a test case, if it is revoked slowly, it can be seen how the situation remains in such areas," Mehbooba had remarked a day after discussing with Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh the aftermath of the killing of militant commander Burhan Wani. There was, of course, no response from New Delhi to the demand.
On January 16, 2017, the chief minister climbed down from her position as she conditioned the revocation of AFSPA on the restoration of peace in the valley. "Revocation of AFSPA depends on the competence of the security forces. Their success in maintaining peace, curbing infiltrations will pave way for the revocation of AFSPA," she said in her reply to the Motion of Thanks on the Governor's Address to the assembly. Going down another step, Mehbooba argued that the footprint of security forces shrinks "naturally" in a "peaceful democratic set-up". "It has been accepted by every party here that in a peaceful democratic set-up, the footprint of the security forces reduces naturally."
The drastic change in Mehbooba's stance in a span of six months reaffirms it is the BJP that holds the key to power, and effectively extinguishes any hope of the withdrawal of the military law in the near future.
File Photo: Mir Imran/KI
Resumption of Dialogue
The AoA lays out the ways to engage both the separatist leadership and Pakistan to resolve the Kashmir dispute. "The coalition government will facilitate and help initiate a sustained and meaningful dialogue with all internal stakeholders, which will include all political groups irrespective of their ideological views and predilections. This dialogue will seek to build a broad based consensus on the resolution of all outstanding issues of J&K," the document states.
Till date, not even an offer of dialogue has been made to the separatist camp, however. The closest Kashmir has seen to a dialogue over the past two years was a series of discussions between a "non-governmental" group led by BJP grandee Yashwant Sinha and the separatists during last year's unrest. The BJP, however, made it known that it had nothing to do with Sinha's initiative.
Similarly, far from facilitating a dialogue with Pakistan, the PDP watched as relations between New Delhi and Islamabad worsened. In fact, PDP leaders have made statements that give lie to their AoA assurance that they "will seek to support and strengthen the approach and initiatives taken by the government to create a reconciliatory environment and build stakes for all in peace and development within the subcontinent".
Mehbooba, in particular, has been scathing in her attacks. On June 14, 2016, she mocked Pakistan by saying, "Nothing is manufactured there. They import everything, including big cars. From a needle to an airplane, they import everything". Another time, she accused the country of being hypocritical. "Today when a Kashmiri child takes up a gun, they call him leader and say he is doing good, but when their own children, some from madrassas, take up guns, they attack them with drones and hang them in military courts. I feel Pakistan, which is viewed by people of Kashmir with sympathy, has this time committed excess. If they instigate our children to pick up guns and then say you will become our leader if you get killed in an encounter, then I think they need to change this policy."
This represents a major policy departure from her father and predecessor Mufti Sayeed, who never publicly admonished Pakistan.
In September, Mehbooba justified Prime Minister Narendra Modi's decision to not attend the SAARC Summit in Pakistan. India, along with Bangladesh, Bhutan and Afghanistan, stayed away from the eight-nation summit, apparently to protest the host country's unabated support to terrorism. "SAARC was to happen in Pakistan and I hoped that our PM will get an opportunity to go there but how will he go? Under what circumstances will he go there," Mehbooba said, endorsing the Modi regime's view of Pakistan.
Strengthening of Article 370
The AoA promises, "The present position will be maintained on all the constitutional provisions pertaining to J&K, including the special status in the Constitution of India."
Since the document was drafted, the PDP has reiterated that status quo will be maintained on Article 370, but its ally has shown no inclination to move on from its traditional stance of Ek Vidhan, Ek Pradhan. On October 26, which the BJP observes as J&K's Accession Day, the party sent a message to its coalition partner that it was committed to the ideological issues of abrogating Article 370 and Article 35A, and "liberation" of the Pakistan occupied Kashmir. In a seminar titled "Accession of J&K to India is full and final", BJP spokesman Varinder Gupta said the special status enjoyed by the state under Article 370 had encouraged separatist ideology in the valley. "We want to make it clear that abrogation of Article 370, revocation of Article 35A and liberation of PoK are the unfinished agendas of our party," he said, describing Article 370 as a historical blunder that the BJP was duty-bound to rectify.
Playing with words, the chief minister, on January 10, 2017, called for the complete "emotional and psychological" integration of the state with India, and asserted that Article 370 would not be a hurdle in this endeavour, but a bridge.
"When people of BJP talk of Article 370, they talk of technical integration. We have to make them understand that we also want that Jammu and Kashmir should fully integrate with India emotionally, technically. We are already a part of this country. Who can deny that," she said while replying to a debate in the assembly. "But have we emotionally joined that integration completely which we should have done emotionally and psychologically? No. But that is what is needed, in which (Article) 370 is not an impediment but 370 is a bridge which connects us."
To political analysts, Mehbooba's statement dangerously echoes former Indian home minister GL Nanda, who, on 4 December 1964, told the Lok Sabha, "The only avenue of taking the Constitution (of India) into Jammu and Kashmir is through the application of the provisions of Article 370. That is the only way of bringing back the Constitution to J&K. It is Article 370 which provides for the progressive application of the provisions of the Constitution to Jammu and Kashmir... Article 370 is neither a wall nor a mountain but that it is a tunnel. It is through this tunnel that a good deal of traffic has already passed and more will." As AG Noorani puts it, "to abuse Article 370 unconstitutionally to destroy it."
Expansion of LoC Trade
The AoA was quite when it came to trade across the Line of Control. It promised to "strengthen cross-LOC trade, encourage civil society exchange, open new routes". Nothing of the sort has happened.
Like on other issues, the PDP leadership has taken refuge in statements, appeals and suggestions. On June 14, 2016, Mehbooba hinted that more crossing points could be opened along the LoC for greater movement of people and goods to and from Pakistan Administered Kashmir, and banking facilities could to be made available for the trade.
"The state government has taken up the matter regarding opening of more cross-LoC points with the Centre and I am sure there will be positive movement forward on the issue as serious discussions are on in this regard," the chief minister informed the Legislative Council, adding that in her meeting with Rajnath, she had pitched for opening of Suchetgarh-Sialkote, Kargil-Skardu, Nowshera-Mirpur, Gurez-Astoor-Gilgit, Chhamb-Jourian cross-LoC routes, among others. "I am hopeful that, if not all at a time, one or two at a time will be opened, so that we can send Basmati from Jammu to there," she said.
Nothing happened. Yet, on November 28, Mehbooba again met Rajnath as well as Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar and asked for opening of more cross-LoC trade and travel routes to increase people-to-people contact. More than a demand, it sounded like a plea.
Recently, the Governor's Address to the assembly mentioned exploring the possibility of opening seven new cross-LoC routes, four of them for people, mainly families divided by the ceasefire line, during 2017.
As for the trade, there has long been a demand to allow more items to be sold and brought and for the provision of banking facilities. But after two years, the PDP-led government is still pursuing what was settled in the AoA, and was reiterated in the Governor's address. "A list of 21 more tradable items has been submitted to the Government of India for taking up this matter with the Government of Pakistan," the governor said.
While she has failed to boost cross-LOC trade, Mehbooba has strangely stated that India can counter the China Pakistan Economic Corridor with a India-Kashmir-Central Asia corridor proposed by her. Speaking in the Assembly on January 17, she said, "I feel Jammu and Kashmir could become a corridor between two emerging economic hot spots – South and Central Asia – to forge regional cooperation, energy transformation, trade and transit in the region."
Her statement quickly became a butt of jokes on social media, with people terming it as a daydream. "Any such route still has to pass through Pakistan Administered Kashmir (Gilgit-Baltistan). How on earth will she bypass it. Maybe she has plans to build a flyover," mocked one social media user.
Status of West Pakistan Refugees
Perhaps the only achievement of the Mehbooba government has been the fulfilment of the promise made to West Pakistan refugees. Then again, it was the main poll plank of the BJP, not the PDP. So, it was done with ease.
Last December, the central cabinet approved a Rs 2,000 crore package for these refugees. Not content with this, the government then started issuing identity certificates to the estimated 36,384 families that migrated to Jammu from West Pakistan in 1947, 1965 and 1971. "As an immediate settlement at the rate of Rs 5.50 lakh has been provided in favour of each of the 36,384 families which have been found eligible through the laid down procedure," the governor recently informed the assembly.
Issuing identity certificates to the refugees turned into a major controversy, however, as the separatist leadership and the civil society denounced the move as an attempt to change the demography of Jammu. They asked why the refugees needed separate identity certificates when they already had Aadhar cards.
Pakistan, too, issued a strong worded statement. Foreign Office spokesman Nafees Zakaria said, "Reportedly, PDP-BJP regime…in violation of UNSC Resolutions, has started issuing domicile certificates to non-Kashmiri Hindus in Jammu region. The move is part of the regime's nefarious designs to change the demographic composition of the territory."
To douse the fire, the government's spokesman Naeem Akhtar clarified that the identity certificates would not grant the refugees the right to vote or seek employment in the state. "These certificates will help them get jobs in the paramilitary forces and other central government establishments," he said.
The BJP had promised the West Pakistan refugees identity certificates and grant of domicile. Despite vocal opposition, it has delivered the first. How long before it fulfils the second?
Given that the PDP seems to ceded all authority to its ally, it may only be a matter of time. As senior National Conference leader Ali Mohammed Sagar recently remarked in the assembly, "The home ministry sends direct orders to divisional commissioners to issue domicile certificates to West Pakistan refugees. Where is the state government? Who is the boss here?
Setting up of AIIMS
Providing a breather to Mehbooba government, the Modi regime has finally decided to set up All India Institute of Medical Science in Jammu as well as the valley. The BJP was initially reluctant to establish AIIMS in Kashmir, and wanted the institute to go to Jammu alone.
Replying to a question in the assembly on January 10, Health Minister Bali Bhagat said 1,907 kanal land is being acquired in Awantipora for setting up the AIIMS. Already 1,309 kanal land has been transferred to the Health and Medical Education Department, and Rs 24 crore have been released in favor of Collector Land Acquisition, Pulwama, "for disbursement of compensation for the balance quantum of 598 kanals". In Jammu, the premier institute will come up on 1,951 kanal land at Vijaypur in Samba. Rs 2,000 crore each has been earmarked for establishing the two institutes. Although the projects are far from breaking ground, at least the process has started.
Return of Power Projects
More than any other issue, return of hydel projects from the NHPC is a barometer of the PDP-BJP government's success. The AoA pledges to "explore modalities for transfer of Dulhasti and Uri hydro power projects to J&K as suggested by the Rangarajan Committee Report and the Round Table reports. Revise all royalty agreements".
But two years into the government's term, the return of the power projects remains a distant dream.
The last, and only, formal meeting the state government had with the Union power minister over the issue was on 16 March 2015, which indicates that it has put the issue on the backburner.
Major hydel projects in J&K except Baglihar are owned by the NHPC, and the state is compelled to buy electricity, produced by its own powerhouses, from the central corporation.
Recently, in a written reply to National Conference MLA Devender Singh Rana's query whether the Mehbooba government had formally approached the Centre for the transfer of hydel projects, Minister for Power Nirmal Singh, who also serves as the deputy chief minister, said, "The transfer of power projects is an important part of the developmental agenda of the coalition government. As mentioned by the Finance Minister in the Power Budget speech for 2015-16, the government will actively pursue the transfer of hydel projects from the NHPC and the Budget provided funds for meeting the operation and maintenance cost of such power projects to be transferred from the NHPC."
He continued: "On March 16, 2015, the Deputy Chief Minister and the Finance Minister met the Union Power Minister and impressed upon the need for transfer of the Dulhasti and Uri hydro power projects from the NHPC. Subsequently, the Deputy CM has raised the issue in various power ministers' conferences. The state government is actively pursuing the transfer of power projects."
The only hint that something positive is happening on this front has been the earmarking of funds for meeting the operational and maintenance costs of the power projects in the current budget.
Although Union Power Minister Piyush Goyal has rejected the possibility of transferring the power projects to the state, Mehbooba is said to have secured a concession from the central government in the wake of the 2016 unrest.
The coalition government is demanding the return of Dulhasti, Salal and Uri projects from the NHPC, apparently to secure a certain amount of autonomy in the power sector. The state government, which is spending Rs 12,000 crore annually to purchase power, wants its own power development corporation to take up future hydel projects.
The coalition hasn't done any better on other issues listed in the AoA. The return of Pandits, for one, was botched up when the government sought to identify land for the creation of exclusive Pandit enclaves, infuriating the separatists and the civil society which compared the proposed colonies to Israeli settlements in occupied Palestine.
Similarly, the PDP-BJP regime has failed to make progress on what was touted as a complete programme of relief and rehabilitation for the families affected by the 2014 flood. The AoA asserts that "the Government of India must fully fund the rehabilitation and reconstruction plan". The belief at the time the AoA was drfated was that the Centre would provide at least the Rs 44,000 crore package demanded by the previous government. What the state got instead was less than a twentieth.
Not surprisingly, as political observers point out, the PDP leadership is left making excuses. "This government started out with the promise that the coalition was formed for the huge benefit of people. But till date we haven't seen anything being done that benefits Kashmir. When you ask them, their main excuse is that they didn't have time as they were either out of power when Mufti Sayeed died or time was lost in the summer unrest," said a Professor who teaches at the University of Kashmir. "All this government is being remembered for is controversies – Sainik colonies, Pandit colonies, chief minister's milk and chocolate remark, brutal pellet firings, unending curfews, Sarfaesi Act, grant of identity certificates to West Pakistan refugees."
There is generally mistrust between people and government in Kashmir, and the working of the PDP-led coalition isn't helping, Prof said. "Kashmiris traditionally view everything with suspicion and even rumours are sometimes treated as gospel truth. Right from the beginning, people feared that the agenda of the BJP was something else and this Agenda of Alliance was just a fig leaf," he added. "And each passing day only confirms the suspicion."