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What a wonderful season it was for CSKA Moscow, which regained the Euroleague crown after eight long seasons. Nando De Colo captured Euroleague MVP honors and Milos Teodosic joined him on the All-Euroleague First Team as CSKA led the league in scoring with one of the best attacks in competition history. On the other side of the ball, Kyle Hines earned Euroleague Best Defender honors. With everyone in sync under the tutelage of Coach Dimitris Itoudis, CSKA won both its regular season and Top 16 groups before sweeping Crvena Zvezda Telekom Belgrade in the playoffs. Then came a victory over Lokomotiv Kuban Krasnodar in the first game at the Final Four in Berlin. The championship game produced drama after CSKA coughed up a 20-point halftime lead, but team captain Victor Khryapa came to the rescue with a late put-back to force overtime, where De Colo took over to lead CSKA to its seven Euroleague crown.
The reigning Turkish Airlines Euroleague champion is among the very best clubs in competition history. Founded in 1924, CSKA was the dominant force in the Soviet League with 24 titles between 1945 and 1990. Legendary players wore its colors over the years such as Sergei Belov, Vladimir Tkachenko, Gennadiy Volnov, Vladimir Andreev, Anatoli Myshkin and Sergei Tarakanov in addition to Hall of Fame head coach Alexander Gomelskiy. CSKA and Real Madrid dominated the European Cup in the 1960s and the team remained competitive in the 1970s and through the mid-1980s. CSKA won its first Euroleague title in 1961 and lifted the trophy again in 1963, 1969 and 1971. The birth of the Russian League gave CSKA a new arena to dominate and it proceeded to win nine consecutive crowns between 1992 and 2000. CSKA returned to the European elite by reaching the Euroleague Final Four in 1996 and the SuproLeague Final Four in 2001 behind a young Andrei Kirilenko. The club once again became the undisputed force in Russian basketball and Coach Dusan Ivkovic led CSKA to three consecutive Final Fours between 2003 and 2005. Standing out was the 2004-05 season, when team compiled an incredible 60-4 record in all competitions, but did not win the Euroleague title. That summer, Coach Ettore Messina arrived, and to a team with Theo Papaloukas, J.R. Holden, David Andersen and Marcus Brown, added Matjaz Smodis, Trajan Langdon and David Vanterpool. Massive success followed with four consecutive Euroleague Championship Game appearances. In 2006 the team downed two-time defending champion Maccabi in Prague for its first continental crown in 35 years. CSKA lost to Panathinaikos Athens in 2007, but then celebrated its sixth Euroleague championship by again beating Maccabi in the 2008 final. A year later, CSKA rallied from 23 down against Panathinaikos, but Ramunas Siskauskas missed a chance for back-to-back crowns when his shot from downtown at the buzzer missed. CSKA returned to the Final Four in 2010 and reloaded for the 2011-12 season with Nenad Krstic, Milos Teodosic and Kirilenko – who would earn Euroleague MVP honors that season – only to let a 19-point lead slip in the Euroleague Championship Game against Olympiacos. In the two seasons that followed, with Messina back on the bench, CSKA got back to the Final Four semis, but lost to eventual champions Olympiacos and Maccabi. Dimitris Itoudis took charge in 2014, which is when 2016 MVP Nando De Colo signed. Together with Teodosic and 2016 Best Defender Kyle Hines, CSKA unleashed the league's best offense to win its seventh Euroleague crown last season by beating Fenerbahce Istanbul in overtime in Berlin. Now the goal becomes reaching Real Madrid for the most Euroleague titles of all time with nine.


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EDITOR'S NOTE: The Freeman's 'Destinations' takes a look at the touristic places that define the Hudson Valley and the Catskills. The occasional series is set to run the last Sunday of every month during 2013.
Kevin Oldenburg is pretty straightforward when he meets a group of expectant tourists for the first time.
"You're not going to learn about this piece of furniture or that piece of furniture. This is not a furniture tour," Oldenburg announces at the get-go.
"We want you to come away with what life was like in this time period rather than what chair people sat in."
Read this story as a New Hive expression.
Oldenburg is referring to the storied Gilded Age, a period in American history between the Civil War and World War I when vast fortunes were made by tycoons and social classes were more clearly defined.
American authors Mark Twain and Charles Dudley Warner were the first to label this period in American history the Gilded Age, and it wasn't necessarily meant as a compliment. Instead, the term pointed to the conspicuous consumption of the nation's wealthiest during the birth of industrial America.
You are about to step back in time to that period and learn more about it as you tour the 50,000-square-foot Vanderbilt Mansion National Historic Site in Hyde Park, one of the Hudson Valley's top tourist spots, annually drawing up to 350,000 visitors.
In the third of our series "Destinations," our readers will serve as the tour group guided by Oldenburg, a National Park Service ranger for 12 years.
For starters, he will tell you that the mansion is more accurately a "country cottage" owned by Frederick and Louise Vanderbilt.
Compared to other Vanderbilt-owned estates, the Hyde Park home is "miniscule," Oldenburg said.
"People are astonished to know it's the smallest of all (Vanderbilt) homes," he said.
"To call it a small cottage is almost somewhat comical, but by Vanderbilt standards, it was just a small cottage."
Oldenburg fashions each tour as if visitors are being received by the Vanderbilt's.
Perhaps a bit of background on the host and hostess is warranted before the tour begins.
Frederick William Vanderbilt, the son of William Henry and grandson of railroad mogul Cornelius Vanderbilt, bought the property in 1895.
He married his first cousin, Louise Holmes Anthony Torrance, 17 years earlier. She was the maternal granddaughter of Cornelius Vanderbilt.
The marriage was not arranged, Oldenburg is quick to point out.
"Far from it," he said. "When Frederick got married, he was 22, and she was 34. She was also divorced from Frederick's first cousin, so about three months after they were married, he said to Louise, 'We should probably tell my father we got married.'"
The couple chose to place the wedding announcement in a newspaper, so Vanderbilt's father found out about it that way, Oldenburg said.
Frederick was the only one of eight Vanderbilt children to go to college, graduating from Yale University's Sheffield Scientific School in 1876 with a degree in horticulture, Oldenburg said.
For 61 years, Vanderbilt served as the director of the New York Central Railroad. He also led the Pittsburgh and Lake Erie and Chicago and North Western railroads.
In addition to the Hyde Park mansion, Vanderbilt had homes in New York City, Newport, R.I. (Rough Point), Bar Harbor, Me. (Sonogee) and the Adirondacks (Pine Tree Point).
"The first generation (Cornelius Vanderbilt) made the fortune. The second (William Henry) doubled it, and the third generation (Frederick) spent it," Oldenburg said.
"They built 40 homes between the eight of them. These homes are more seasonal estates, with the one in Hyde Park being the smallest."
Vanderbilt hired the architects, McKim, Mead and White to design the house, and his wife had a huge say in what it would become, said Scott Rector, chief of interpretation at the Vanderbilt site.
Mrs. Vanderbilt was a socialite, who was looking to emulate the opulence of European aristocrats, he said.
In fact, she traveled to Europe with designer Stanford White, a partner in the architectural firm that built the mansion, to pick out the furnishings, Rector said.
"She had a major voice in how the mansion was set up," Rector said. "Basically, these financiers and industrialists lived in a style emulating European pomp. That is reflected in the furnishings, the tapestries, the walls and in the design of the architecture itself."
It is worth noting that the entire estate, including the original furnishings, was donated to the National Park Service at the urging of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Rector said.
"When Frederick turned the property over to his niece (Margaret Louise Van Allen), she didn't have the need for the estate, so she tried to sell it off outright with the only stipulation being that the property stay intact," Rector said.
"It was during the Depression, and not many people had that kind of money, so basically, FDR talked to her and asked her if she'd be willing to donate it to the National Park Service."
Though some of the family's personal items may have been removed, everything else was left as is when it was handed over, Rector said.
"It's all the original furnishings set up the way it was when they lived there," he said.
As extraordinary as all of that is, Oldenburg isn't so caught up in the trappings.
Rather, he wants tourists to come away with a deeper understanding of what life was like for prominent families in the Gilded Age.
This is where the guided tour begins.
View Vanderbilt Mansion National Historic Site in a larger map
"When guests arrived, they were greeted by the butler," Ogdenburg tells visitors. "Their cloaks were taken and hung in a side room, and they'd go out to the middle of the hall, which was like a hotel lobby, where people would mingle before dinner."
When it was ready, the guests would be ushered into the dining room.
"Dinner was a pretty elaborate affair from an hour-and-a half to three hours in length," Oldenburg explained.
Following that, the company would then split, with the men closing themselves off in a den to talk business, smoke cigars and drink brandy.
"It was like a Gilded Age man cave," Oldenburg said.
The ladies, on the other hand, would go to the gold reception hall directly across from the den and talk about the parties they had attended and what the other women were wearing.
"What they were essentially doing was deciding who belongs in their society," Oldenburg said. "The men and women were actually working together to create that society."
The genders would then reassemble in the drawing room for more socialization, often with live chamber music--such as a string quartet--playing in the background, Oldenburg said.
The drawing room was broken into three conversational areas, and the socialization lasted until about midnight after which the guests would head off to their bedrooms.
Oldenburg said guests often find Mrs. Vanderbilt's bedroom, fashioned after Marie Antoinette's, the most astounding in the 54-room mansion.
"It's almost like the palace of Versailles--right down to a large railing that goes around her bed. For Louise, it was for show," Oldenburg said, noting that she was the type of woman who would visit Paris once a year to get her dresses made.
Typically, the Vanderbilts' guests would stay for an extended weekend in Hyde Park, mostly in the spring and fall. The couple used it as a seasonal home in the spring and fall, Oldenburg said.
Once guests awakened from their first night at the Dutchess County mansion, they would be served breakfast in their rooms, often on color-coordinated China. They would then head outside for "play."
"During the course of the day, it was all about being outdoors, rather than being stuck in the house," Oldenburg said
Recreation often included horseback riding, a game of croquet or sailing on the Hudson River.
Guests would often have a picnic lunch on the vast grounds, enjoy afternoon tea with their hosts and engage in further recreation before returning to the mansion for another elegant evening of dinner and post-dinner conversation.
Tours of the mansion take about an hour, and Oldenburg said he enjoys taking guests' questions.
Sometimes, they send him back to the books to uncover a little-known fact or two.
"That's how we become well-versed in what we do. The visitors are constantly helping us learn," Oldenburg said.
In the dozen or so years Oldenburg has worked for the National Park Service, he estimates he's given "tens of thousands of tours" and said his job at the mansion never gets old.
In fact, he said he knows he's a lucky man to be able to work on such luxurious grounds and share his love for history.
"Sending everyone home with a smile is kind of cool to do," he said.
The Vanderbilt mansion is open daily (with the exception of Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's) from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
For ticket or tour group information, call (845) 229-7770 or go to

subset: commoncrawl


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Science and Nonduality DVDs, published by NetiNeti Media, offer conversations with leading scientists, contemporary mystics, authors and teachers. These Science and Nonduality Anthologies take you on a deep inquiry into the most compelling questions of our time: Is there a path to awakening? Why do we suffer? Where does the apparent separation come from? Is there a new science validating the ancient mystics? What is the nature of consciousness? Where is evolution leading us? Is seeking an evolutionary function? Is awakening the final objective?
You can order these Advait DVDs here.
This is an abstract from this Science and Nonduality DVD set:


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Made to Order Linen Hand Towel
Made to Order Rope Font Linen Hand Towel
$ 35.00
Made to Order Hand Towel with Rope Font and your choice of color. Wash on Delicate cycle in cool water, shape and lay flat to dry. Press while a little damp. NO CHLORINE BLEACH. No returns or refunds on custom orders.


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Current leader Joe Turner streaks toward season high
Streakers, current leader Joe Turner has answered the call — well, the email, actually.
After reaching 37 games with Miguel Cabrera last night, Joe disregarded the (FAKE!) BTS Report Curse and agreed to answer a few questions about himself, his life and his favorite foods.
First off, Joe works for a beverage company and lives with his wife, Jennifer, near St. Paul, MN.
He once met Herb Brooks (yup, this interview took a serious turn toward the upper Midwest), roots for the Twins and misses the glory days of Kent Hrbek. Don't we all, Joe.
In Streaking news, Joe has been playing BTS for a couple years and claims to be a "big fan" of the Report. #yabuddy. Like season leader Jonathan Roy, he mostly picked random players until his streak reached 20 games. Uh oh, the commenters aren't going to like that. Forget the previous sentence — Joe actually conducts daily six-hour ballpark wind pattern studies and purchased industrial-grade computer graphing software to help make his selections. I swear, that's (definitely not) what he told me.
Annnd since you've all been waiting for it: Joe's favorite food is his wife's taco pie. It's unclear what taco pie consists of, but if it involves both tacos and pie, it cannot be un-delicious.
Good luck to Joe the rest of the way. Feel free to offer your congratulations, Mall of America stories and taco pie recipes in the comments.
Thursday's picks:
(Make a BTS pick)
Oh, hello there…
Juan Pierre: .450 (9-for-20) since '06 vs. Indians starter Justin Masterson
Carl Crawford: .545 (6-for-11) since '06 vs. Royals starter Luke Hochevar
Elvis Andrus: .359 (14-for-39) since '06 vs. Angels starter Jered Weaver
Ryan Zimmerman: .350 (7-for-20) since '06 vs. Reds starter Bronson Arroyo
Ryan Braun: .364 (4-for-11) since '06 vs. Dodgers starter Clayton Kershaw
Feeling kinda spicy?
A.J. Pierzynski: .348 (8-for-23) since '06 vs. Indians starter Justin Masterson
Gordon Beckham: .333 (5-for-15) since '06 vs. Indians starter Justin Masterson
You'll thank me later
Carlos Quentin: .053 (1-for-19) since '06 vs. Indians starter Justin Masterson
Paul Konerko: .182 (4-for-22) since '06 vs. Indians starter Justin Masterson
Howie Kendrick: .100 (1-for-10) since '06 vs. Rangers starter Colby Lewis
Michael Cuddyer: .194 (7-for-26) since '06 vs. Yankees starter C.C. Sabathia
Curtis Granderson: .200 (2-for-10) since '06 vs. Twins starter Brian Duensing
Top MLB streakers
Mike Carp: 17 games
Torii Hunter: 15 games
Miguel Cabrera: 15 games
Melky Cabrera: 10 games
Robinson Cano: 9 games
Home Run Beat the Streak pick:
Adrian Gonzalez vs. Royals starter Luke Hochevar
5 Comments
i wonder if the person who writes the daily blog notes didnt hear last night that ortiz is going to be side lined a week with bursitis and ortiz is wearing some kinda boot on the right foot
75 streaks of 20 or more. 26 people have chose Adrian Gonzalez. Ellsbury 8, Cano and Jeter 5 each, Zimmerman 4, Cabrera (Cle) 3, Sandoval, Maybin, Utley, Andrus, Pence, and Chavez 2 each
35 people sitting at 19 just ready to crack the 20 game streak list
Who falls today?????
1st takes Cano
2nd- Jeter
3rd- Pedroia
4th- Zimmerman
5th- Ellsbury
26 people who had gonzalez just got sent back to ZERO
sandoval and pence each send 2 back to zero.
I'm surprised so many went with AGon. He hasn't had a hit in 5 days. OTOH I guess he's due. 😉
the fact that boston and their offense had gone away while at home against Tampa was the very reaason i didnt pick anyone from the team yesterday


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Women's Rowing Hosts Miami
April 01, 2011
By ODU Athletics
By ODU Athletics
April 1, 2011
NORFOLK, Va. -- On the heels of the grand opening of the New Women's Intercollegiate Rowing Center, the Old Dominion women's rowing team will host the University of Miami on the Lafayette River on Saturday.
The first race will begin at 9 a.m. with four races to follow starting every 15-20 minutes thereafter.
Taking place on the Lafayette River, just minutes from campus, fans can watch the race from Mayflower Road in the Colonial Place section of Norfolk or the Granby Street Bridge.


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Doctor Accused Of Fondling Loses License
Dr. T. Daniel Caddells License Temporarily Revoked
An Upstate doctor who has been accused of fondling five patients has temporarily lost his license.
The South Carolina Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation says Dr. T. Daniel Caddell has temporarily lost his license to practice in the state, because "the Office of General Counsel has provided probably cause warranting an Order of the State Board of Medical Examiners" to suspend Caddell.
The suspension is effective immediately.
Caddell is accused of fondling five patients; one in 1987, another from May 2001 to December 2003, another between January 2009 and June 2010, another between January 2009 and Nov. 7, 2011 and another on June 30, 2011.
The warrants say that Caddell fondled the patients, "With the intent of satisfying his sexual desires."
Caddell, who was released on his own recognizance, has hired Greenville attorney Beattie Ashmore to represent him.
Ashmore has alluded to the accusations against his client, saying they stemmed from Caddell refusing to treat patients who Ashmore says were selling pain pills that Caddell prescribed to them.
Caddell lives in Greenville, but has a family practice in Travelers Rest. Caddell has been a doctor for 27 years. Many patients have come out in his support since his arrest.
Chief Lance Crowe said that the incident reports in Caddell's arrests will not be released because if anyone comes forward, investigators need to be sure they aren't merely repeating something they have heard. But, he said, investigators look forward to a point when they will be able to make more information public.


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We've all got a job. – a source of inspiration.
The art of the personal project is a crucial element to let potential buyers and creatives see how you think creatively. Here's a glimpse of one project we have in the works, titled "Workplace". You really don't need to travel that far to find the right subjects to bring an idea to life. Do some serious research, then knock on a few doors with a friendly smile and you'd be surprised how many willing participants will agree to the idea. Then the project might just snowball as in our case – we're starting to lose count of our subjects. We simply love environmental portraiture. Images with a narrative. Characters's that make you want to engage and ask questions. This project is ongoing for us and centre's itself largely around our neighborhood in downtown San Francisco. A little sample below – we'll continue to showcase more in small doses.


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SALISBURY, MD---Chamber music from Lincoln Center; works from the "Great American Songbook" with Michael Feinstein; Broadway classics; news, information and culture (including from a Latino perspective); music from Mountain Stage and World Café; expanded local news, as well as the latest in medicine, education and technology — all these and more will be available at Delmarva Public Radio (DPR) starting Monday, September 16.
To view .pdf's of the the new programming schedules, please click here
DPR's two stations - WSCL (89.5 FM) and WSDL (90.7 FM) - will expand their music and news formats while remaining true to their well-established missions, said General Manager Dana Whitehair. "We had an opportunity to take existing and new programs and create a blend that is fresh and engaging, and available nowhere else on Delmarva."
The character of WSCL, currently a combination of classical music and NPR news, will reflect a broader spectrum, encompassing arts, culture and the spoken word. Such popular, leading shows as NPR's Morning Edition and All Things Considered, along with Performance Today, remain. During weekday evenings, The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center joins a lineup of world-class orchestras in recorded live performances. Another new program, The Record Shelf, reviews a variety of classical recordings, highlighting the best currently available.
WSCL's weekends, however — particularly Saturday nights — offer a revamped musical lineup appealing to an array of listeners. Programs include: Song Travels with Feinstein; A Night on the Town with George Harter, which celebrates the American musical; and Swingin' Down Memory Lane with David Miller, dedicated to keeping the big band sound alive; as well as shows spotlighting American popular song and jazz.
Sunday mornings will include Selected Shorts, featuring actors from stage, screen and television bringing intriguing stories to life from the stage of New York City's Symphony Space, and Sunday Baroque, with such beloved names as Vivaldi, Handel and Bach, and lesser-known surprises.
"A goal for the future is to record regional live performances for later broadcast on DPR," Whitehair said. "There's a place for local musicians on these airwaves."
WSDL also will maintain its strong news and information presence — with a twist. The Delmarva Today newsmagazine will expand to an hour. Many popular programs such as NPR's Morning Edition, All Things Considered, Fresh Air with Terry Gross, The Diane Rehm Show, PRI's The World (with access to the BBC's 250 global correspondents) and APM's Marketplace will continue.
Branding its new format as "Rhythm and News," the musical portion of WSDL's schedule is also being bolstered with popular NPR staples. Weekdays will have evening and overnight broadcasts of World Café, called "the premier public radio showcase for contemporary music." Late night broadcasts will include PUBMusic. ["It's like AAA (Adult Album Alternative) that got over itself," its website says.]
Popular WSDL favorites such as Wait, Wait … Don't Tell Me, the award-winning and thought-provoking This American Life, 2 Boomer Babes, and Marc Steiner's On Delmarva continue on weekends. In addition, new information/news shows will be added, such as the TED Radio Hour, Sound Medicine, Living on Earth, and eTown (featuring environmental news and top musical performers), among others.
Musically, WSDL's format will expand with the award-winning Mountain Stage, the longest-running program of its kind, joining the locally-produced Saturday Night With Robin; Acoustic Café, with its focus on contemporary song-writing talents; and the now-classic The Midnight Special, a combination of music, novelty and comedy.
"This hybrid of news, information, and both traditional and cutting-edge music I hope will attract an eclectic audience," said Whitehair. "It appeals to myriad age groups. I foresee people of varying backgrounds saying, 'You listen to WSDL? Hey, so do I!'"
Changes are necessary to make DPR sustainable. "We realize the full repositioning of both WSCL and WSDL will not be accomplished with one reformatting," said Whitehair. "It will be an ongoing process, and adjustments will be considered based on credible audience response and membership levels. Many here at the station have been carefully considering ways to better engage listeners. I'm grateful for their work."
To view .pdf's of the the new programming schedules, please click here


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A selection of men's loafers for casual and formal occasions. Easy slip-on loafers come in both suede and leather and in a range of colours. Suede loafers adopt clean lines in classic shades and runway colours with an almond-shaped toe; some are detailed with a tonal or contrasting tassel. Smooth leather styles have modern rubber grip soles.
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Annie Clark has a problem. Speaking from a "fucking freezing" New York, she's waiting for a bandmate and on the hunt for coffee. Trouble is, she's stuck at a friend's house, and the search is not going well. "I think I've found some instant coffee, but maybe it's going to be disgusting," she tells me. Best left well alone then? "But it has caffeine in it and there's a fucking polar vortex, so I think I'm gonna cut my losses and drink it."
Aside from the distraction of an unfamiliar kettle – "How do I know when the water is boiling?" – and a temperamental stove, she's in good spirits. Her new, self-titled album is out at the end of February, and if the reaction to the tracks 'Birth in Reverse' and 'Digital Witness' is anything to go by, it'll be immensely popular (and rightly so). Blending a myriad of influences, it's her most ambitious collection of songs yet; bustling jazz rhythms sit next to Bowie-esque pop and smooth soul, expertly blended together in a confident, loose manner.
She's even coined a strapline – "a party record that could be played at a funeral" – that's sure to be repeated in the opening paragraph of every review, and gives a pretty good indication of how St. Vincent tugs at your heart while moving your feet. While reluctant to reveal too much of the story behind some of the songs and the lyrics, we chatted about her love for Pantera, leaving 4AD, and why horns have such a unique voice.
DiS: Are you concerned about getting back in the game so soon after Strange Mercy and Love This Giant? Won't burn out be an issue?
Annie Clark: You know, the thing that is harder is stopping; keeping going is cool. It's kinda like people get sick when they go on vacation, so it's better for me to keep going. I don't think I'll get burned out, I'll be OK – but ask me again in nine months!
I saw you quoted as saying that you wanted to "make hay while the sun shines". Do you feel your past success has given you a platform to be more bold, experimental, and push in different directions?
I think a lot of people make safer records as they go on, and success has the opposite effect. They'll be like: "Oh, more people might be listening so I'll go towards the middle of the road." But I know in my gut that the only thing I care about – aside from my friends and family – is music, and so the only way I can proceed in life is to make music that I believe in, otherwise it's just not worth it. Otherwise, I don't know what the point of anything is at all…and I can't even use the stove, so clearly I have no ability to…you know.
So it's music or bust?
It's not just music or bust, but making things that I really love and really believe in, and for me that means pushing myself, trying new things, and trying to keep fresh. But I'm just saying that for another person, the temptation could be to go towards the middle of the road as they get more successful with the false idea that they'd get more fans that way. I'd rather make records that I love and let the chips fall where they may.
It's interesting the way the album uses instruments – especially the horns on 'Digital Witness' – in a very distinct, rhythmical way, similar to 'Who' from Love This Giant. What is it about this way of playing that attracts you?
I wrote that song ['Digital Witness']…to be perfectly honest with you, I was half asleep in my bed and I just had this idea for a melody. And you know that feeling where you're really cosy, but you have to wake up? The idea was too compelling, so I went to my computer and the first sounds that came out when I was trying to get the idea down was [imitates the horn blasts]. So it was on the demo, and I thought: "I'll change this when I get to the studio; it's horns for now but I don't wanna do a horn thing because I've just done one ['Who']." With David [Byrne], we got to use actual, massive horns, and I was thinking when I play live I wouldn't have any horns, so I should just stay away from them. But the thing about it is that very few instruments speak like a horn, and that line, because of the tempo that it was, needed to have that Prince-y type vibe. I searched high and low, and I couldn't find another synth or instrument that spoke like that. It couldn't be guitar because it sounded like the Jesus Lizard – whom I love – but it just wasn't right for that bit; it sounded a little to meathead-y.
Did you take anything specific from working with David into the making of this album?
Not specific precepts per se, but I spent a lot of time with him and had the real pleasure of becoming good friends with him. He's very fearless, and that's infectious. I just think he's such a great artist, and a really wonderful and generous person to boot, which is probably a pretty rare combination in the world. He's rare and special, but everyone already knows – I'm not saying anything new.
Do you think you might collaborate with him again in the future?
Well, I'm not not collaborating with him, but we don't have any plans or designs on that right now.
'Bring Me Your Loves' is the most out there track, and I read how it was inspired by Pantera and Turkish folk music. How did you end up listening to such diverse influences?
I'm from the suburbs of Dallas, Texas, and Pantera is the music that I grew up on. That heavy metal, rock thing was very dear to my heart; I played in a Pantera-Maiden-Megadeath cover band, and I love that stuff. I was hanging out with my best friends, and we got on a nostalgia kick and put on 'Cowboys From Hell'. I was totally raging to it, and I remembered how amazing a guitarist [Dimebag] Darrell was. And then I was introduced to this Selda record – she's a Turkish folk singer from the 1970's – and I just fell in love with it.
That's another song that originally had a slightly more straight-ahead rock beat behind it, but it felt a little too much like Pantera. My friend McKenzie from the band Midlake came in to play drums, and we tried the song again. He started doing this New Orleans, Zigaboo Moliste-type beat under it, and it really worked out and put it into a new world. It's half referencing things I like, but putting all this together feels new; I remember hearing it for the first time through the big speakers and it was crazy.
Who is 'Prince Johnny' about?
It's about a friend of mine.
Is there an interesting story there?
Yeah, there's an interesting story, but it's kinda told verbatim in the song.
OK. So what inspired you to write about this friend?
Well, it's a love letter to this very rich history of New York…and yeah. It's a love letter.
I was also curious about the line in 'Severed Crossed Fingers'; "The truth is ugly / Well I feel ugly too". What do you mean by that?
I didn't mean it literally…I mean exactly what it says. I think everybody feels like that at some point.
Martin Aston's book 'Facing the Other Way' really put 4AD back into the spotlight last year. Is there any particular reason you left the label?
There are no hard feelings. My contract was up with them, and I had to make a decision whether to stay or to go. There was a good team elsewhere, to get new blood around the project, and so I went somewhere else. So no regrets.
St Vincent is released via Loma Vista/Caroline on February 24th. To pre-order yours and check for upcoming live dates, please click here._
Upcoming European Dates - February 2014
13th – Postbahnhof, Berlin
15th – Paradiso, Amsterdam
17th – Ancienne Belgique, Brussels
18th – La Cigale, Paris
20th – Shepherds Bush Empire, London
21st – The Cathedral, Manchester
22nd – Olympia, Dublin
Related Reading
1) Interview: St. Vincent talks Tom Waits, technology, and Strange Mercy (2012)
2) Interview: Blank Holes and Blank Stares: DiS meets St Vincent (2009)
3) In Photos: St Vincent & David Byrne at the Roundhouse, London (2013)
4) 9/10 Review: St Vincent - Strange Mercy
5) Excited to hear St Vincent? Join the discussion about the record over on our music forum.


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text:
Just read this - sounds like this movie is being shopped around again:
http://www.deadline.com/2010/07/larry-c ... re-pierre/
You are here: Home ‹ Board index ‹ Movie Discussion ‹ Upcoming Movies
Pierre Pierre Moving Ahead
Discuss other upcoming Jim Carrey movies (not confirmed/rumours).
Pierre Pierre Moving Ahead
Just read this - sounds like this movie is being shopped around again:
http://www.deadline.com/2010/07/larry-c ... re-pierre/
Re: Pierre Pierre Moving Ahead
This is good news because this movie could be the comback Jim needs.
Re: Pierre Pierre Moving Ahead
As I said in the other "Pierre, Pierre" topics, this project is (was) one of the most interesting ones on his list in years. The script was on the "black list" and very wanted. Above that, Reitman made some good movies with "Thank You for Smoking", "Juno" and (my favorite) "Up in the Air", lots of nominations also.
On the one side, I'm extremely glad it's back on track. On the other side ... Reitman (and his unique and very original vision) is out. Do I realy want to see the version of the guy that brought us 'Borat' and 'Bruno'? Not that those movies were bad (not at all actually), but I don't want to see the same thing for the 3th time, cause 'Buno' was the same thing all over again, just with another character. I hope Jim isn't a 3th character in a movie we saw before.
Pierre Pierre Moving Ahead
Just glad Jim Carrey hasn't blown away like dust in the wind as far as movie news goes. This could be a funny movie but I just hope some producers jump on this and get the wheels rolling.
To God, every living being is beautiful... Except for you.
Re: Pierre Pierre - Director looks a little like
Richard Dreyfuss???
Don't you think??
Anyway this should be an interesting movie.
Does it start out in the US or Canada then
the main character goes back to France?
or is he French Canadian and falls in love with France
I wonder???
Re: Pierre Pierre Moving Ahead
Well that's unfourtunate, but I hope somebody jumps on board and makes the movie unique.
Re: I just looked this up....
not sure this would be good
too much negativity, we're already
in economy slump, not sure this is a
good one to make at this time, would
like to see something more enforcing
you could have a conflict though if it
really had to be brought fwd
Someone who could retort to Pierre,pierre
who is a good as Pierre is bad
somewhat of a good adversary that thwarts
the things that Pierre does and is somewhat
one step ahead of Pierre unknowingly
This has something of a twist, doesn't it?
Isn't that what it's about
a personality tennis match
I wonder if it would be possible
http://scriptshadow.blogspot.com/2009/0 ... ierre.html
Re: Pierre Pierre Moving Ahead
Looks like that "Pierre Pierre" will be the next Jim Carrey movie. According to Screen Daily production begins this Summer in Europe. Especially Germany.
http://www.screendaily.com/news/distrib ... 03.article
Jim Carrey Movies/Series/Books in 2019:
Sonic the Hedgehog, Kidding (Season 2) and Untitled novel
Join Jim Carrey Online on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, VK and Snapchat
Re: Pierre Pierre Moving Ahead
Austin Williamson: Future Actor
Re: Pierre Pierre Moving Ahead
Yes I prayed constantly to make this movie. Will be awesome. A R-Rated comedy
Re: Pierre Pierre Moving Ahead
Yeah!!!! Another one???
Thank GOD!
I'm glad 2 know Portugal (Lusomundo) already made the deal, according to the article...
I wish Portugal was one of the countries he would shoot but...
I'm a guardian of the spark...
I'm a God damn and proud good fan... and I love it! = )>
Re: Pierre Pierre Moving Ahead
Why in Germany if it's supposed to be Anglo-French?........the architecture and lighting won't be authentic or appropriate............
Re: Pierre Pierre Moving Ahead
I couldn't agree with you more!
Re: Pierre Pierre Moving Ahead
Yes! I thought there was something to this when Jim Carrey mentioned it on the Cable Guy commentary. This is great.
To God, every living being is beautiful... Except for you.
Re: Pierre Pierre Moving Ahead
Ha I love Borat it was hilarious
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text:
This document is an excerpt from the EUR-Lex website
Risk Capital Action Plan (RCAP)
Risk Capital Action Plan (RCAP)
Risk Capital Action Plan (RCAP)
This summary has been archived and will not be updated, because the summarised document is no longer in force or does not reflect the current situation.
Risk Capital Action Plan (RCAP)
The purpose of this communication is to promote coordinated action at Community level aimed at stimulating the expansion of risk-capital markets.
Commission communication of 31 March 1998 entitled " Risk capital: a key to job creation in the European Union " [SEC(1998) 552 final - Not published in the Official Journal].
The communication emphasises that risk-capital markets, which provide equity financing to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and high-growth companies, play a crucial role in business start-ups and their further development, and thus in job creation, within the European Union.
A comparison with the United States reveals that risk-capital markets are still significantly underdeveloped in the European Union. This is the case not only for the stock exchanges specialised in financing high-growth companies, but also for risk-capital investment at the start-up or development stage of new enterprises or in high-technology companies. Other noticeable differences include the degree to which US pension funds contribute to the provision of venture capital in the United States and the tendency there toward geographical concentration of operators with a stake in the entrepreneurial process (such as venture capitalists, researchers, entrepreneurs).
European entrepreneurs do not have adequate access to the capital they need to start and develop their businesses. Moreover, there is a lack of good investment opportunities for risk-capital investors. This lack of dynamism adversely affects the capacity of the EU to exploit its own innovative ideas and realise its job-creating potential.
The communication identifies six categories of barriers to the creation of risk-capital markets at European level:
The communication proposes an action plan to remove these barriers and so improve the conditions for the development of risk capital in the European Union. Some of the measures proposed (such as the reform of the European patent system) require a response at the level of the European Union, while others (e.g. the clarification of the tax environment for companies) should be handled by the Member States themselves.
Commission Communication to the Council and the European Parliament on implementation of the risk capital action plan (RCAP) [COM(2003) 654 - Not published in the Official Journal]
This communication reports on progress in the implementation of the RCAP for the year 2002 and, where possible, for the first three quarters of 2003. As it is the fifth and final report of its kind, the Commission also takes stock of progress over the RCAP implementation period as a whole (1998-2003). It reports considerable progress, with all political, as well as many technical, objectives attained.
Although the gap with the US remains, with investment there still double that in Europe, the disparity has been cut by half since 2000. While the European market is still fragmented on account of the persisting differences between Member States, the European risk capital industry is now much larger, more mature and more professional than in 1998. The regulatory framework has improved considerably, with tax issues remaining its weakest point.
Awareness by enterprises and public authorities of the strategic importance of this sector and the possibilities provided by this type of financing is now well enshrined in Europe. The RCAP has played a political role in supporting those directly or indirectly involved in risk capital activities. It has permeated other regional, national and Community policies and programmes. In order to keep up the momentum, the Commission will continue to follow the European risk capital markets closely. In 2004 it must analyse the areas where there are still inefficiencies with a view to putting forward recommendations and proposals, as appropriate, with the Lisbon 2010 deadline in mind.
Commission Communication to the Council and the European Parliament of 16 October 2002 on implementation of the risk capital action plan (RCAP) [COM(2002) 563 - Not published in the Official Journal].
This communication is the fourth annual report on progress in the implementation of the RCAP since it was adopted in 1998. It reviews the progress made in 2001 and, on some points, in the first half of 2002, in the knowledge that the end of 2003 is the cut-off date for completion of the action plan.
The communication stresses that the European risk capital sector is going through a period of adjustment during which, certain areas, in particular, the operation, regulation and the liquidity of the stock markets, or the pan-European dimension of the risk capital market must be further rationalised. It also notes that modernisation of the regulatory framework has continued in a financial environment dominated by the successful introduction of euro notes and coins. Significant progress is being made towards the compulsory application of international accounting standards by 2005 and future legislation on supplementary pension funds. Moreover, it stresses that the Structural Funds have significantly increased their participation in the financing of risk capital.
In conclusion, the communication considers that the accompanying measures designed to develop risk capital in Europe have undergone profound and positive changes during the last four years. It feels that improvement of the environment for this type of investment should be a long-term objective, leaving aside any short-term consideration, and proposes that new measures should be considered for promoting risk capital in the following years.
Commission Communication to the Council and the European Parliament of 25 October 2001 on implementation of the risk capital action plan (RCAP) [COM(2001) 605 final - Not published in the Official Journal].
This text reviews the progress made in 2000 and 2001 in implementing the risk capital action plan and takes stock at half-way point (the plan is due to be completed in 2003). While it welcomes the spectacular performance of the risk capital markets in Europe and the fact that all Member States have benefited from such growth, the Commission stresses that major disparities remain and the European market is still fragmented. The fall in stock markets, the downturn in economic growth and the events of 11 September 2001 in the United States have impacted negatively on the growth of the risk capital industry in Europe. Although progress in setting up a proper regulatory framework for risk capital has continued, many difficulties still subsist, such as the absence of a single patent and the discriminatory effect of certain tax rules. The introduction of the euro should make it easier to remove barriers to cross-border transactions. The development and promotion of European entrepreneurship has been pursued and important steps have been taken in the area of public funding: the Commission has for example clarified its policy towards state aid.
In conclusion, despite the progress achieved risk capital markets need to be strengthened much more before Europe can become a world leader in this field as advocated in Lisbon.
Commission Communication to the Council and the European Parliament of 20 October 1999 entitled "Risk capital: Implementation of the action plan - Proposals for moving forward" [COM(1999) 493 - Not published in the Official Journal].
In the Communication, the Commission outlines the measures taken to remove obstacles to the rapid growth of risk capital since the adoption of the action plan in March 1998. It maintains that the process should be speeded up and developed and proposes taking stock regularly of progress made on the basis of a comparative evaluation system whereby the best practices are identified.
Commission communication of 11 May 1999 entitled "Implementing the framework for financial markets: Action plan" [COM(1999) 232 - Not published in the Official Journal].
This action plan, presented at the request of the European Council, is based on the framework for action published by the Commission in October 1998 and on the deliberations of the Financial Services Policy Group. It contains a series of policy objectives and specific measures designed to improve the single market in financial services over the next five years. In particular, it proposes indicative priorities and a time-frame for adopting legislative and other measures with a view to attaining three strategic objectives:
The action plan also recommends that the Council and European Parliament adopt the proposed Directives on UCITS, distance selling of financial services and electronic money before the end of 1999.
Last updated: 01.08.2006


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Odd couple at center of Russian helicopter inquiry
WASHINGTON -- Yuri Borisov's performance on a lucrative U.S. military contract was dismal -- cost overruns, blown deadlines, forged paperwork.
Yet that didn't keep the Russian entrepreneur from winning more business with the Department of Defense, according to interviews and documents obtained by The Associated Press.
Borisov, who specializes in refurbishing Russian Mi-17 helicopters, had an ally in Bert Vergez, an Army colonel who ran an obscure defense acquisition office in Huntsville, Ala.
When Borisov insisted on being paid millions of dollars extra for overhaul work his companies were late on, Vergez supported him.
When Borisov sought a new multimillion helicopter overhaul contract, it was Vergez's office that approved the deal.
Even when auditors from the Pentagon inspector general's office were uncovering signs of illegal activity, it was Vergez who pitched a plan to install new engines on Mi-17s bound for Afghanistan -- an arrangement that promised millions of dollars in revenue for Borisov.
The relationship between the two men is at the heart of a criminal investigation into why the Huntsville office Vergez once commanded kept dealing with Borisov despite an alarming catalog of problems.
The case is a glimpse into the labyrinth of military procurement, where even today, Borisov's companies, AviaBaltika Aviation and Saint Petersburg Aircraft Repair Company, remain technically eligible for federal contracts. The inspector general's audit recommended that the Army take steps to debar or suspend the companies, but no such action has been taken more than a year later.
"I am deeply concerned by the Department of Defense's stubborn refusal to stop contracting with firms that stand accused of defrauding the U.S. government," said Sen. John Cornyn of Texas, the Senate's second-ranking Republican. "If the Pentagon fails to take the formal steps to bar these firms from future contracts, the real victim will be the American taxpayer."
The FBI and Defense Criminal Investigative Service are leading the inquiry. Representatives for both agencies declined comment.
Vergez, who retired from the military in November 2012, and Borisov did not return phone calls seeking comment for this story.
It's unclear when the two men met.
Vergez, 48, spent 25 years in uniform.
He graduated in 1987 from Norwich University, a private military school in Vermont, and earned a master's degree from the Florida Institute of Technology. In the Army, Vergez flew Apache and Cobra attack helicopters. He deployed to Albania in 1999 and later served a tour in Iraq, his service record states. In 2001, Vergez was assigned to the Army command in Hunstville that manages the service's aviation budget.
Borisov, 57, served in the Soviet military for 10 years and launched his aviation companies in the early 1990s. AviaBaltika is based in Kaunas, Lithuania. Saint Petersburg Aircraft Repair Company, better known as SPARC, is headquartered in Russia.
In Lithuania, Borisov is well known for his flamboyant lifestyle and a scandal that led to the impeachment in 2004 of Lithuania's president, Rolandas Paksas. Borisov was the top financial backer of Paksas's election campaign. He contributed $400,000.
The president's troubles began after police alleged that Borisov was in cahoots with the Russian mafia. Paksas's political career fell apart after telephone calls secretly recorded by the state security department became public during the Lithuanian parliament's impeachment proceedings. In one, Borisov is allegedly caught speaking with reputed Russian mob bosses.
Borisov and Paksas denied all the accusations. No charges were filed against Borisov, but the U.S. Embassy in Vilnius, Lithuania's capital, kept a close eye on him. When AviaBaltika applied to the Lithuanian government in 2005 for a license to train Iranian helicopter pilots, Tom Kelly, then the embassy's deputy chief of mission, alerted State Department officials in Washington.
Kelly called AviaBaltika "infamous" in a cable published by the Wikileaks website. The Lithuanian government, Kelly wrote, understood the license request "is likely to set off alarms in Washington, and wants to make sure we have a chance to affect" the decision. The U.S. recommended the request be denied. It was.
But warnings about Borisov's companies appear to have slipped through the cracks. By 2008, AviaBaltika and SPARC were part of an umbrella contract to support U.S. counterterrorism activities held by defense industry giant Northrop Grumman and managed by a Navy office in Dahlgren, Va.
AviaBaltika and SPARC were tasked with overhauling 10 Mi-17 helicopters, part of the U.S. strategy to defeat al-Qaida and other extremist groups. The Pentagon acquired dozens of new and used Mi-17s to give to Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan and other countries in its fight against terrorism.
But Avia Baltika and SPARC ran into trouble.
A $38 million job to refurbish the 10 Mi-17s ballooned to more than $64 million and delivery dates were badly missed, according to the Pentagon inspector general's audit of the work done by Borisov's companies.
Jonas Bazaras, AviaBaltika's commercial director, said in an email that the audit's findings "are not consistent with the reality," but declined to comment further.
Two of the choppers were 20 months behind schedule, the audit said. Eight others for Pakistan's air force missed their deadline by a year.
Yet U.S. government contracting officers kept paying the bills for what auditors described as unquestioned and unnecessary costs. AviaBaltika and SPARC charged exorbitant rates for helicopter replacement parts. For example, a storage battery cost just over $13,000, 500 percent more than the going rate from other companies. AviaBaltika wanted $20,000 for a landing light, nearly double the market cost.
It was virtually impossible to assure the overhauls were being done properly because quality control inspectors from the U.S. government and Northrop Grumman were repeatedly refused access to SPARC's facilities in Russia.
William Bain, then a senior manager at Northrop Grumman, wrote in a February 2010 memo that the access denial "clearly demonstrates that AviaBaltika and SPARC are totally unfit to be entrusted with business that can flow down to them on behalf of the U.S. government."
Borisov's companies ran afoul of the Russian government, too. The companies shipped two military choppers for repair work in Russia, but claimed the helicopters were commercial models because the companies were not authorized to perform overhauls on military aircraft.
A memo signed by Borisov's son, Pavel, Avia Baltika's president and financial director, stated the copters "belong to civilian category and have no restrictions for import and export to Russia."
Russian authorities also determined the logbooks the companies provided for the Mi-17s "were not authentic," the audit said. The Russian government considered the breach to be a serious matter and brought the illegal shipments to the attention of U.S. defense officials in late 2010.
A few months later, U.S. government management and oversight of the AviaBaltika and SPARC's overhaul work shifted to an Army acquisition office in Huntsville headed by Vergez.
At about that same time, March 2011, Vergez's name became connected to a house owned by Pavel Borisov in Huntsville's exclusive Ledges neighborhood. Borisov sold the four-bedroom home at 3 Chittamwood Drive in June 2013 for $725,000, according to the Madison County, Ala., tax assessor's office. It's unclear whether Vergez ever lived there or why his name was registered at the address. Pavel Borisov did not respond to emails from AP.
The connection should have set off alarms inside the Army, said Neil Gordon of the Project on Government Oversight, an independent watchdog group in Washington. Military officers are supposed to avoid even the appearance of a conflict of interest.
"By allowing his name to be linked to property owned by an executive of a company with which the Army does business, Col. Vergez showed either a brazen disregard for contracting regulations or a serious lack of judgment," Gordon said.
In his new post, Vergez supported AviaBaltika and SPARC's bid for $11 million in additional compensation even though the auditors found no evidence a required cost analysis had ever been completed.
The companies argued that the delays in overhauling the helicopters were not their fault, but caused by another contractor's failure to supply replacement parts. As a result, AviaBaltika and SPARC said they incurred expenses they should not have had to absorb, the records show.
They cited the costs of preparing for and attending meetings and writing letters to resolve the problems, noting labor rates between $250 and $650 an hour, which translated into annual salaries as high as $1.3 million a year. The inspector general's audit called the rates unreasonable.
Ultimately, AviaBaltika and SPARC would receive just $1.2 million after Pentagon officials in Washington intervened and instructed Vergez's office to make no further payments, according to a person familiar with the transaction but not authorized to be identified as the source of the information.
Despite that performance, in April 2011, AviaBaltika and SPARC won a contract to overhaul five more Mi-17s, the records show. The new work flowed to Borisov's companies through a larger contract Vergez's office had with Science and Engineering Services, Inc., a government contractor in Huntsville.
Nearly $14 million has been spent on the subcontract even though the helicopter overhauls have not been completed, according to an Army budget document.
Just before Vergez retired from the Army, he laid out a plan through which Science and Engineering Services would acquire new Ukranian-built engines for Mi-17s the U.S. was buying for Afghanistan. AviaBaltika was the licensed distributor for the Motor Sich engines in the U.S. and stood to earn millions of dollars.
"I trust that your team (AviaBaltika Ltd., JSC Motor Sich) is up to the challenge to bring this much needed engine capability" to Afghanistan, Vergez wrote in an August 2012 memo to Ralph Pallotta, chief operating officer at Science and Engineering Services.
But the plan stalled after Vergez retired. Only two engines have been acquired so far.
Science and Engineering Services has not been contacted by federal investigators and has no reason to believe it is the subject of any inquiry, Pallotta said.
Shortly after Vergez hung up his Army fatigues, he went to the work for the private equity firm Patriarch Partners as the senior vice president for commercial aerospace operations.
That move is under scrutiny too.
Patriarch is owned by Lynn Tilton, who bills herself as the business world's turnaround queen. She buys struggling companies and attempts to make them profitable.
Among the properties in Patriarch's portfolio is MD helicopters, a manufacturer of commercial and military rotorcraft in Mesa, Ariz. Vergez's office had awarded MD Helicopters a contract in March 2011 potentially worth $186 million for copters to train Afghan air force pilots.
Most federal officials are bound by rules they must abide by when they leave government to take private sector jobs. That includes a one-year ban against receiving compensation from a contractor they had dealings with while employed by the government.
At Patriarch, Vergez not only reconnected with both Borisovs, he introduced them to Tilton at last year's Paris Air Show, the global aviation industry's preeminent networking event.
Vergez escorted her to a lunch at Borisov's chalet on the grounds of the sprawling Le Bourget Exhibition Centre, according to a copy of Tilton's itinerary.
They had dinner the following night at Le Copenhague, an elegant Scandinavian-themed restaurant on the Champs Elysees.
Patriarch spokesman Davidson Goldin declined to respond to questions about Vergez's hiring or the Paris Air Show.
Associated Press writers Liudas Dapkus in Vilnius, Lithuania, Gary Peach in Riga, Latvia, and Associated Press researchers Judith Ausuebel and Rhonda Shafner in New York contributed to this report.
Follow Richard Lardner on Twitter: https://twitter.com/rplardner


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1940 : German troops enter Romania1940 : German troops enter Romania
On this day in 1940, Hitler occupies Romania as part of his strategy of creating an unbroken Eastern front to menace the Soviet Union.
As early as 1937, Romania had come under the control of a fascist government that bore great resemblance to that of Germany's, including similar anti-Jewish laws. Romania's king, Carol II, dissolved the government a year later because of a failing economy and installed Romania's Orthodox Patriarch as prime minister. But the Patriarch's death and a peasant uprising provoked renewed agitation by the fascist Iron Guard paramilitary organization, which sought to impose order. In June 1940, the Soviet Union co-opted two Romanian provinces, and the king searched for an ally to help protect it and appease the far right within its own borders. So on July 5, 1940, Romania allied itself with Nazi Germany-only to be invaded by its "ally" as part of Hitler's strategy to create one huge eastern front against the Soviet Union.
King Carol abdicated on September 6, 1940, leaving the country in the control of fascist Prime Minister Ion Antonescu and the Iron Guard. While Romania would recapture the territory lost to the Soviet Union when the Germans invaded Russia, it would also have to endure the Germans' raping its resources as part of the Nazi war effort. Nevertheless, with German troops now occupying his nation, Antonescu would go on to sign the Tripartite (Axis) Pact in November, tying Romania to the military machinations of not only Germany, but Italy and Japan as well.
From: www.History.com