text:
On May 28 2008, Madonna learned that she was officially going to be allowed to adopt David Banda.
The High Court in Malawi granted Madonna permanent adoption of 2-year-old David Banda.
Madonna's lawyer made this statement:
"We are very happy with what the judge has ruled. Finally the court has granted Madonna full adoption rights of the boy…It's all over, thank God. It is a positive and beautiful judgment that will have an impact on Malawi's adoption laws."


text:
Welcome to Createch Machine and Design, Designers and
Manufacturers' of Drilling and Tapping Solutions
Our product lines, Rockford Drill Head, Ettco Machine Tool and
Procunier have a long history providing innovative productivity improvement
solutions to the premier participants in American industry.
Our customers span the full width of American industry with applications in
automotive, commercial vehicle, construction and building materials, home
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Our products produced decades ago are still in daily use at many of our
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Our products include solutions for CNC applications as well as stand alone high
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width of our product offering provides solutions for heavy duty automotive
applications to light duty machine shop requirements.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
In a post to Microsoft's Windows Server blog, Microsoft Senior Program Manager Gaurav Gupta revealed that the company will offer an integrated cloud backup service for Windows Server "8"(the current designation of Microsoft's next release of its server operating system). Microsoft Online Backup Service is now available as a free preview, but is limited to 10 gigabytes of cloud storage, works only with Windows Server "8" beta, and will only be offered to a limited number of customers. While it's not an enterprise data protection solution, it does provide an option that may be attractive for small and medium businesses, as well as for servers that are hosted in the cloud.
Microsoft Online Backup is designed to provide incremental backups of server data, tracking changes at both the file and storage block level and only copying changes to backup storage. It also encrypts and compresses files before transferring them to Microsoft's cloud, and can throttle the network usage of backup during business hours.
The Online Backup client integrates into the backup functionality of Windows Server "8," and can be managed both through the existing Windows Server Backup utility and Windows PowerShell command line. In addition to backing up to the cloud, it can also manage backups to local storage.
Gupta said in his post that the service also provided data integrity checks on the cloud side, to ensure no data was corrupted in transit. And administrators can also put a retention policy in effect that sets how long to retain backups in the cloud—based on how much cloud storage they're willing to pay for, as well as company policy. The service can also be customized to work with other providers through Microsoft's Cloud Backup Provider API.
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View article:
Microsoft offers free cloud backup beta for Windows Server "8"


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Monarch Caterpillar
This caterpillar was found on the milkweed plants in my patio. I was very excited to find several of them.
On the Move
This Monarch caterpillar was on the milkweed plant in my patio. I had planted the plants 3 years ago, hoping to attract the Monarchs and host their young. To my knowledge these are the first "babies" I have had here. Very excited, and hope the birds don't get them!
Climbing Down
This is another view of the Monarch larvae I'm hosting in my patio. Fingers crossed that they succeed in growing up and flying away!
Monarch Change of Life
This image shows one Monarch pupae and one caterpillar preparing to pupate. These are from the 5 caterpillars I found on my milkweed plants. They have been kept safe in a net enclosure intended for this purpose. I hope soon to have 5 Monarch butterflies emerge into the world.
Transformation Before My Eyes
This image is of a Monarch Butterfly pupae, having gone from bright green to quite translucent, showing the butterfly within. After photographing this pupae, within 15 minutes the butterfly emerged.
Just Emerged
This Monarch butterfly recently emerged from the pupae, and after resting and drying its wings, fluttered to this milkweed plant on which it had fed as a caterpillar. I opened the net enclosure so it could fly.
Free At Last!
This was the first Monarch butterfly that emerged from the 5 pupae I have been monitoring. I took a few shots of it, and came back a few minutes later and it was gone! How soon they leave home and forget us ;-)
Just Hanin' On
This Monarch butterfly was the second one to emerge today, 3 more to go in the near future. After it emerged and dried, it was on this seed pod of a milkweed plant, and stayed for a long time.
The Last Monarch
Yesterday the last of my 5 Monarch Butterflies emerged from its chrysalis and was set free to go out there in the big wide world. So now I'm experiencing empty-nest syndrome ;-)
First Look at the World
This is a view of my last Monarch Butterfly after I transferred it out of the net enclosure where it lived from caterpillar to butterfly. I put it by this milkweed pod and it grabbed on and faced the real world. Later I looked out and it was gone.
Common Green Darners
Out birding at San Jacinto Wildlife area today, mating dragonflies were everywhere. Most of them didn't want to share this private moment, so these Green Darners were the only ones I managed to photograph.
Resting on Lavender
This Zebra Heliconian was sitting on a spear of lavender at the butterfly exhibit at the Living Desert in Palm Desert, CA.
Bumble Bee in the Wild Rose ~ This was a very big and fuzzy bumblebee. I think it is a Common Eastern Bumblebee, based on my field guide. It was photographed in Colorado, and it definitely looks different from my California bees.
Dragonfly at Bolsa Chica ~ While birding at Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve in Orange County, I saw this dragonfly. Seen at larger sizes, the intricate patterns of its wings are very beautiful. I believe this is a Common Green Darner, adult male.
White Line Sphynx Moth ~ This moth visited my patio one morning, so of course I had to grab my camera.
Flame Skimmer Dragonfly
Photographed at the ponds at Whitewater Canyon Preserve in southern California.
Flame Skimmer Resting
This pretty dragonfly was patrolling over the ponds at Whitewater Canyon Preserve, and finally rested long enough for me to take a few shots of it.
Green & Black
This beautiful butterfly was photographed at the butterfly exhibit at San Diego Safari Park.
Beauty in White
This beautiful white butterfly was photographed in the butterfly display at San Diego Safari Park.
Busy as a...Wasp
This shot shows three of about 20 wasps that were working around the nest while I was photographing them.
This wasp was one of several hanging out at a nest. While the others were busy tending the nest, this one sat on top watching me as I photographed them.
In over 30 years living in Redlands in Southern California, I have never seen this bug. This summer dozens of them have been buzzing around the downtown area, including outside the art gallery where I work. Some people were calling it a June Bug, but I'd never heard of those in the west. I looked it up and discovered it is related, both being Flower Scarabs, but this one is a Fig Beetle, which is more common in the Southwest.


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Following iPhone 3GS/AT&T activation delays that were in some cases 48 hours long, Apple has allegedly responded with a $30 "We're sorry" gift that will be good at the iTunes Store on Monday.
Notification came by way of an email, which we've seen from Giz readers as well as around the Net this weekend:
Dear Apple Customer,
Thank you for your recent Apple Store order. We appreciate your patience and apologize for the inconvenience caused by the delay in your iPhone activation.
We are still resolving the issue that was encountered while activating your iPhone with AT&T. Unfortunately, due to system issues and continued high activation volumes, this could take us up to an additional 48 hours to complete.
On Monday, you'll receive an email from Apple with an iTunes Store credit in the amount of $30. We hope you will enjoy this gift and accept our sincere apologies for the inconvenience this delay has caused.
Thank you for choosing Apple.
Apple Online Store Team
So, on the one hand you're going to get $30 in free stuff from Apple on Monday. On the other hand you could be one of the unlucky saps on the far end of this issue who's about to experience 96 hours without a phone. Worse still, your new iPhone 3GS could be singing to you right now too. [Thanks, Patrick, et al]


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Call us +972 52 2688411
Tel Aviv,
Trips for Photographers is in many ways a labor of love. It is an attempt to create together with fellow photographers and dedicated operators at different corners of the earth, a unique, high quality photographic experience.
Trips for Photographers in not another 'shop' or 'agency', you are invited to see it rather as an opportunity to explore and experience photography at fascinating destinations. This is the spirit that defines the R&D process of any expedition, that is what will distinguish the performance of these expeditions.
You are warmly invited to regard this site as a home, a club, a place you come back to. Photographers, Operators and Agents - you are all encouraged to make use of all the devices installed on this site in order to talk to us and stay in touch.


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Justice Dept faulted in gun-trafficking operation
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Department's internal watchdog on Wednesday faulted the agency for misguided strategies, errors in judgment and management failures during a bungled gun-trafficking probe in Arizona that disregarded public safety and resulted in hundreds of weapons turning up at crime scenes in the U.S. and Mexico.
A former head of the department's Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and a deputy assistant attorney general in Justice's criminal division in Washington left the department upon the report's release — the first by retirement, the second by resignation.
In the 471-page report, Inspector General Michael Horowitz referred more than a dozen people for possible department disciplinary action for their roles in Operation Fast and Furious and a separate, earlier probe known as Wide Receiver, undertaken during the George W. Bush administration. A former acting deputy attorney general and the head of the criminal division were criticized for actions and omissions related to operations subsequent to and preceding Fast and Furious.
The report did not criticize Attorney General Eric Holder, but said lower-level officials should have briefed him about the investigation much earlier.
The report found no evidence that Holder was informed about the Fast and Furious operation before Jan. 31, 2011, or that the attorney general was told about the much-disputed gun-walking tactic employed by the ATF.
Gun-walking was an experimental tactic, barred under long-standing department policy. ATF agents in Arizona allowed suspected "straw purchasers," in these cases believed to be working for Mexican drug gangs, to leave Phoenix-area gun stores with weapons in order to track them and bring charges against gun-smuggling kingpins who long had eluded prosecution, but they lost track of most of the guns.
The experimental operations were a response to widespread criticisms of the agency's anti-smuggling efforts. Because of thin ATF staffing and weak penalties, the traditional strategy of arresting suspected straw buyers as soon as possible had failed to stop the flow of tens of thousands of guns to Mexico — more than 68,000 in the past five years.
The inspector general found fault with the work of the senior ATF leadership, the ATF staff and U.S. attorney's office in Phoenix and senior officials of Justice's criminal division in Washington. He also said that poor internal information-gathering and drafting at Justice and ATF caused the department to initially misinform Congress about Fast and Furious, beginning with a Feb. 4, 2011, letter.
"The inspector general's report confirms findings by Congress' investigation of a near total disregard for public safety in Operation Fast and Furious," said Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, which has been investigating Operation Fast and Furious since early 2011. Horowitz is to testify before Issa's panel Thursday.
During the investigation President Barack Obama ordered Holder to withhold from the committee, under executive privilege, some documents describing how the department responded to the panel. The Republican-controlled House voted to hold Holder in contempt and has authorized a civil lawsuit to make the administration turn over the documents. Horowitz said he was not denied access to any of the documents.
Two of the 2,000 weapons thought to have been acquired by illicit buyers in the Fast and Furious investigation were recovered at the scene of a shootout that claimed the life of U.S. border agent Brian Terry. About 1,400 of the total have yet to be recovered.
Holder noted in a statement that the report confirmed his assertions that the flawed strategies were driven by field agents without his knowledge or approval and that department did not set out to misinform Congress.
He said the report's disciplinary recommendations are being pursued and "we now have two men in custody and we will continue to aggressively pursue the remaining fugitives to ensure justice for Agent Terry, his family and his fellow law enforcement agents."
Fast and Furious has produced charges against 20 gun traffickers, 14 of whom have pleaded guilty so far.
One of those criticized in the report, former ATF acting director Kenneth Melson, who headed that agency during the Fast and Furious investigation, retired upon release of the report.
"Melson made too many assumptions about the case," the report stated. "Melson should have asked basic questions about the investigation, including how public safety was being protected."
Melson responded in a written statement: "While I firmly disagree with many of the speculative assumptions, conclusions and characterizations in the inspector general's report, as the acting director of the agency I was ultimately responsible for the actions of each employee."
Another of those criticized, Justice Department career attorney Jason Weinstein, resigned. Weinstein was a deputy assistant attorney general in Justice's criminal division in Washington.
"Weinstein was the most senior person in the department in April and May 2010 who was in a position to identify the similarity between the inappropriate tactics used in Operations Wide Receiver and Fast and Furious," the report said. ATF agents in Arizona conducted Wide Receiver in 2006 and 2007 and began Fast and Furious in October 2009.
Weinstein's lawyer, Michael Bromwich, called the report's criticism "profoundly wrong" and "deeply flawed."
The report said that a cover memo reviewed by Weinstein for a wiretap application in Fast and Furious "clearly suggests" that ATF agents had allowed a known illicit gun purchaser to continue his illegal activities for a gun-trafficking ring selling weapons to a Mexican drug cartel.
Weinstein's review of the cover memo should have caused him to question operational details of Fast and Furious, the report stated.
In response, Weinstein's lawyer said that before reviewing any Fast and Furious wiretaps, Weinstein had been assured by ATF Deputy Assistant Director William McMahon that guns were being aggressively interdicted.
Among others the report singled out for criticism were former acting Deputy Attorney General Gary Grindler; Assistant Attorney General Lanny Breuer, who heads the criminal division; Arizona U.S. Attorney Dennis Burke; and Holder's own former deputy chief of staff, Monty Wilkinson.
The report said:
—Wilkinson should have promptly informed Holder of the fact that two guns found at the scene of Terry's slaying were among the 2,000 illicitly acquired weapons in Operation Fast and Furious.
—Grindler relied on the FBI to investigate the Terry killing. That reliance was misplaced, given that the bureau did not have the responsibility to determine whether errors in ATF's investigation led to the weapons ending up at the murder scene.
—Breuer should have promptly informed Deputy Attorney General James Cole or Holder about the gun-walking problems in the earlier gun probe, Operation Wide Receiver.
The inspector general said he found no evidence that former Attorney General Michael Mukasey, who took office late in the Bush administration after Wide Receiver was ended, was ever informed that it used gun-walking.
Once allegations of gun-walking surfaced, the Justice Department waited 10 months before withdrawing an incorrect letter to Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley in early 2011 denying that gun-walking had taken place. Grassley is the ranking Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee.
A May 2011 Justice Department letter to Grassley said that "it remains our understanding that ATF's Operation Fast and Furious did not knowingly permit straw buyers to take guns into Mexico."
The inspector general said that by May, senior department officials knew or should have known that ATF had in many instances allowed straw purchasers to buy firearms knowing that someone else would transport them to Mexico. The report also found that the department should not have provided testimony in June 2011 before Issa's committee that created ambiguity over whether the department was still defending its Feb. 4 and May 2 letters.
Speaking to reporters at ATF headquarters, acting director B. Todd Jones said the agency is already implementing some of the report's recommendations and there are no gun-walking operations going on.
"We are recalibrating how we do business at ATF," Jones said. "Everyone in the current crew knows that that is not an acceptable investigative technique unless I know about it, and I don't know about any."
Associated Press writer Jesse J. Holland contributed to this report.


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First, we gave some tips and pointers on how to make the most out of iOS 6's panoramic photo feature, and then we asked our readers to submit their best shots. Boy, were we impressed! We received more than 300 entries for our latest Macworld contest, and were blown away with the beautiful photos we receieved. Beaches, sunsets, football stadiums, bridges, cities, and tons of gorgeous landscape shots flooded our inbox, making this a particularly difficult contest to judge.
Our panel of judges (three Macworld editors) narrowed down the pool and selected five winners. These photos really stood out as good examples of what the iPhone 4S and 5's panorama feature is all about. The winners received a handful of iOS accessories from our contest sponsors, but we couldn't resist showing off the work of other honorable mentions.
Our winners
Jack Johnson
Phone: iPhone 5
Additional editing: Aperture
Johnson snapped this photo during a recent trip to the Atacama Desert in Chile. We loved the subtle color changes that appeared in the sunset and along the salt flat landscape. The beauty here is all-natural. "I did nothing but hit the 'enhance' button in Aperture."
August Trometer
Phone: iPhone 5
Additional editing: None
"I had had an absolutely miserable day at work, and, on my way home, I decided to swing by the beach for a walk to get some distance from the day. A crazy rainstorm was just moving out of the area, and the sun was setting. I caught the beautiful sunset and an amazing rainbow at the same time. My favorite bit is the lovely couple sitting on the sand, watching the sun disappear." This photo was taken in Venice, California.
Mark Goldschmitt
Phone: iPhone 5
Additional editing: None
Goldschmitt's photo works as both a stunning panorama and as a story. "My father lives in Long Beach, New York, which was devastated by Superstorm Sandy. This was a picture taken on the beach a few weeks after the storm. As you can see, the devastation was still evident weeks later."
Cameron Thompson
Phone: iPhone 5
Additional editing: None
This is an excellent example of how the panorama feature can be used to capture non-landscape shots. This photo shows the vastness of this part of Park Guell in Barcelona; it brilliantly shows off the columns and their symmetry.
Xavier Rotivel
Phone: iPhone 5
Additional editing: Camera+
Rotivel took this photo in Paris, using the regular panorama feature in Apple's Camera app. He then used Camera+ to convert the photo to black and white and do a little post-processing.
Honorable mentions
Glen Domulevicz
Phone: iPhone 5
Additional editing: Snapseed for image adjusting and frame
"Taken east of Sonoita, Arizona, with cattle grazing on grasslands, with the Mustang Mountains to the left and the Huachuca Mountains in the far distance to the right."
Kevin Buterbaugh
Phone: iPhone 4S
Additional editing: None
"I took this photo while at the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta. No special settings and no edits—just a standard iPhone panorama photo."
Timothy Larkin
Phone: iPhone 5
Additional editing: Adobe Photoshop CS6
Capturing a vertical panorama is no easy feat, which is why Larkin's submission of a road in Caroline, New York, blew us away. Says Larkin: "I read in an article that the iPhone can be rotated to create a vertical panorama. The author showed an example with a span of 90° or so. I was curious of what effect would be created by increasing the span. I find the image to be a bit disorienting, in an interesting way, since the ground appears at both the bottom and the top of the image." Photoshop was used to correct black edges that occur when the capture alignment is off.
Danny Irizarry
Phone: iPhone 5
Additional editing: None
"I took this photo while on vacation in Sydney, Australia. It was taken at The Gap Bluff and still gives me goose-bumps when I look at it!"
Michal Skrzypek
Phone: iPhone 4S
Additional editing: Magic wand in Apple's Photos app
"I took this shot of the sun setting over the Charles River Esplanade in Boston while riding one of the city's Hubway bikes the day before the system was shut down for the winter."
A big thank you to our contest sponsors— Just Mobile, US+U, Sena, and STM Bags—for providing our winners with prizes!


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Ski season has come exceptionally early to Vancouver all thanks to an early colder snap of weather that is more akin to December and January. After a very soggy October November came by and started to dry out with gorgeous clear and sunny skies to grace the city – this does come at a price at this time of year as it generally means it will be cold. Although not as cool as some of the other provinces were experiencing, it did drop to -4c in Vancouver.
As the rains were beginning to taper off it did manage to get cold enough on the North Shore mountains for the precipitation to fall as Snow. After the skies cleared the temperatures at the top stayed below freezing, this enabled the Snow makers to come out and maximise the colder weather so they could fast track the process and open early!
We encourage you to go and ski or Snowboard over the coming few weeks before the word is well and truly out, not all the Ski tourists have arrived so you can get a chance of riding some great runs without the hills being too crowded! Fingers crossed the skies stay relatively clear as the views from the top of the North Shore mountains is truly stunning!
Vancouver has 3 local ski hills in the area and all have differing routes that will suit your skill levels – there are also some free shuttle buses to Cypress Mountain that you can pick up close to the hotel.
The ski resort is a 30-minute drive north of downtown Vancouver, and has 53 named alpine ski runs (many accessible for night skiing) and 19 km of cross country trails. Snowshoeing tours are also popular. Snow schools and rentals, Cypress Creek Grill, Gold Medal Cafe and Crazy Raven Bar and Grill and a Big Bear Sports retail shop are also located on the premises in the Cypress Creek Lodge.
Cypress Mountain hosted the Freestyle Skiing and Snowboarding events of the 2010 Winter Olympics
Website: http://cypressmountain.com/
Cypress Coach lines (Westend Pickup) this is the closest location to the Sunset Inn & Suites Hotel just a 5 minute walk away- ask staff for details and guidance) http://cypresscoachlines.com/
This is the site of an alpine ski area in the winter season overlooking Greater Vancouver with four chairlifts facilitating 26 runs. In the summer, the mountain features lumberjack shows, a birds of prey wildlife demonstration, a scenic chairlift ride, and a 2.9 km (1.8 mi.) hiking trail known as the Grouse Grind. Year-round operations include a 100-seat mountaintop theatre and a wildlife refuge. Public access to the mountain top is by a Swiss Garaventa aerial tramway, or the Grouse Grind hiking trail. They also have 'The eye in the sky' Wind turbine located at the top of the mountain which makes this ski hill easy to spot and a fantastic viewing point over looking Vancouver.
Website: https://www.grousemountain.com/
Mount Seymour is probably your best bet if you are a beginner as some of the runs are not as challenging as the ones to be found on Cypress and Grouse. Seymour is a popular Snow shoeing destination.
Located in North Vancouver, within Mount Seymour Provincial Park. Mt. Seymour has been the choice of outdoor enthusiasts for over 60 years. An easy drive from anywhere in Greater Vancouver, Mt. Seymour draws you out of the city and into a spectacular winter playground. Like the other hills you will experience the breathtaking views of Vancouver, the ocean, Mt. Baker, Washington state, and Vancouver Island.
Website: http://www.mountseymour.com/


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Store Gift Cards.
In this, my year of cutting back and fighting the urge to
splurge, I figured I'd get one small gift for each kid on my list (including my
own) so they'd have something under the tree to open and then give them each a
store gift card.
But what kind of gifts cards? My girlfriend suggested I do what she does
and ask everyone which stores they like the most. I tried that, but in typical fashion my clan got
carried away and gave me names of specialty shops and boutiques -- in Boston, Toronto, even London. Very funny!
More From Good Housekeeping
Then I began wondering how much money on a gift cards never
gets used. I started digging and was
totally flabbergasted. The information I
turned up really soured me on the idea altogether.
I'll bet you didn't know any more than I that there's some
$5 billion a year retailers get to keep from unspent money on gift cards? $5 Billion!!!
According to one of the articles I read in the NYTimes money
not spent on gift cards is known in the industry as "breakage." Sounds like a fancy word for found money, if
you ask me.
I'm probably in that $5 billion because I've got a couple of
cards with just a few dollars on them which I never carry, so I can't
use. Maybe they've even expired by now. Those few dollars evidently
add up to
billions and billions of dollars that retailers "earn."
So no store gift cards for me. I'm not into contributing to anyone's "breakage." Figured instead I'd get American Express gift
cards which can be used just about anywhere.
Good idea, but then I found they weren't available at my bank. I could
use up all the ink in my printer and get them online, but I finally decided on
giving something else - good, old fashioned CASH. I'll bet there's no "breakage on cash!
So what do you think? Are store gift cards Deal Makers or Deal Breakers?


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Tempest Prospero
Many communities are under pressure to create an easy, efficient and fast service delivery for constituents, developers, contractors and business owners. Creating a friendly user experience and an efficient community development process is difficult with different software solutions and paper-based permitting and plan review burdens.
With Tempest Prospero, you can create a transparent and efficient permitting and application experience and an effective community development process. Prospero supports your efforts by providing an enterprise-wide solution to bring together the work of several departments for a seamless and centralised source of information on permits, hearings, deposits and more.
Then, once plans are submitted, you can connect the permitting data and projects seamlessly with Hyland's eplan or electronic plan review software. Your submitters can have a seamless, paperless experience from permit, license and application to plan review and approval.
With Tempest and a Hyland content services platform working together you have a repository for all content, create process transparency and preserve all documentation from permits through approved project. Better project management and review happen when all the right data and content can be accessed from one place. Finding engineering studies, photos, plans and other relevant data on a project no longer requires hours of searching through paper files in multiple locations. And, archiving permits, licenses and other documents makes that information available throughout the organisation, providing consistent information to involved parties, improving project transparency and creating a historical archive that can be accessed by first responders or future planners.
Tempest Prospero permitting and application capabilities and Hyland electronic plan review, tools for efficient and effective community development.


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Christian Ponder, Adrian Peterson lead Vikings to upset of Redskins
The Minnesota Vikings needed most of the game to figure out how to stop Robert Griffin III and the Washington Redskins.
They finally walked off their home field a winner, too.
Adrian Peterson ran for 75 yards and two touchdowns, and the Vikings forced Griffin into three straight incompletions from the 4 in the final seconds to hold on for a 34-27 victory Thursday night.
Christian Ponder went 17 for 21 for 174 yards with two touchdowns and an interception before leaving late in the third quarter with an injured left shoulder. John Carlson had seven catches for 98 yards and a touchdown for the Vikings (2-7).
Griffin was 24 for 37 for 281 yards, three touchdowns and no turnovers for the Redskins (3-6), who led 27-14 early in the third quarter. He also ran seven times for 44 yards, but the Vikings took him down for four sacks for 39 yards in the second half. The Redskins committed eight penalties for 63 yards.
With the Redskins out of timeouts, Griffin ran for 12 yards on fourth-and-1 at his own 49 right after the 2-minute warning. Jordan Reed caught a 17-yard pass to the 8 and, after a short run by the Redskins, the Vikings inexplicably stopped the clock with a timeout of their own. Wide receiver Greg Jennings was livid on the sideline.
But Griffin's next two passes were incomplete. On fourth-and-goal with 32 seconds left, his throw to the corner of the end zone was caught by Santana Moss with only one foot in bounds.
Game over.
After losing three games this year in the final minute, the Vikings finally pulled one out.
Blair Walsh kicked two fourth-quarter field goals for the Vikings after Peterson's second score gave them a 28-27 lead late in the third quarter.
That drive started at the Washington 41, thanks to an unnecessary roughness call on Darrel Young during the punt return. Ponder scrambled and slung a third-and-12 laser to Jarius Wright for a first down at the sideline. Then, Ponder took off for a 14-yard run that left him with an injured left shoulder, and an official replay reversed the touchdown call after he dived at the pylon and rolled out of bounds.
Matt Cassel came in, and Peterson scored to give the Vikings the lead on the next play.
The NFC East, which fittingly for this season rhymes with least, has been right there for the Redskins to take hold of.
Dallas (5-4) and Philadelphia (4-5) are barely ahead of them, and each has shown significant flaws. They're going to have to tighten up this defense, though, if they're going to keep this a true division race with the Cowboys and Eagles. The three teams entered this week with the three highest averages of yards allowed per game in the league, and the Redskins were being scored against at a greater rate than any other squad except the winless Jacksonville Jaguars.
Ponder threw deep for Jennings on third down into double coverage on the first drive, and Brandon Meriweather returned the interception 30 yards to near midfield. But the Vikings reached the end zone with ease on their next two possessions, fueled by an unnecessary roughness call during each march, on Chris Baker and Perry Riley. Peterson scored on an 18-yard run on the first one, and Ponder rolled out to find Cordarrelle Patterson for the rookie's first career touchdown catch.
The Vikings crossed the goal line with their first drive of the second half, too. Ponder found Carlson, elevated to the starting lineup with tight end Kyle Rudolph out, wide open for a 28-yard catch and run that gave him his first touchdown in two years with the team.
The Vikings were missing four starters to injury on defense, and they had no answer for Griffin or his big receivers in the first half. The Redskins scored on their first five possessions, further trampling a unit that has had all kinds of trouble this season.
Garcon, Reed and backup tight end Logan Paulsen were the recipients of Griffin's three touchdown tosses, drives that featured many a Redskins ball carrier, whether receiver or runner, breaking tackles and bowling over the Vikings who tried to bring them down. The Redskins converted seven of eight third downs in the first half and held the ball for more than two-thirds of the elapsed game time.
The latest sign of increasing pushback toward the Redskins for their nickname came before the game outside the stadium, where hundreds of American Indians and their supporters held signs, chanted slogans and beat drums in protest of what they view as a disrespectful and racist moniker. Among the printed messages they carried: "We are not cartoons!" Redskins owner Dan Synder has called the nickname a "badge of honor" and said it won't be changed.


text:
How To Use Our WebsiteThis website is designed to provide the user access to our membership and assocation details quickly and easily.
Select an area you would like to review using the navigation area at the top or left on any page of our website. If you would like to read about our privacy policy or website disclaimer, those links can be found in the upper right of any page of our website.
To join our association, click here or the Join The LECBA link in the upper center of any page of our website
Feel free to read any articles, review our board of director's, their meeting minutes and even Book A Charter with one of our very capable charter boat captains.


text:
And, she is due just 7 weeks after me.
With her first.....
I am SO, SO, SO excited that my younger sister Rebecca & her husband Jason are expecting and due this Fall! They are going to be wonderful parents!
We had a little photo shoot yesterday in honor of their exciting news!
{Today is also their 1 year wedding anniversary! Happy Anniversary...what a year!}
She hasn't been feeling well either and I keep telling her that "Misery loves Company". Ha!
(I just made up that term...it's a cousin that is like a sibling)
I hope that these 2 will be close friends, just like Becks & I are.
We live less than 5 minutes apart & my mom will be watching both our babies 3 days a week when we are at school (Rebecca teaches middle school math also), so these babies will be spending A LOT of time together!
They will be finding out what they are having (they aren't crazy like us!)
I already have Baby Shower ideas for her floating around my head!
Congrats Rebecca & Jason! So excited our babies will be a month & a half apart!


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AP: Vega recalls 30,000-plus motorcycle helmets
Vega Helmet Corp. is recalling more than 30,000 XTS motorcycle helmets after testing found that a few did not meet crash protection safety standards.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said people using the helmets may not be adequately protected in a crash. The recall will start in late January and centers on large, extra-large and extra-extra-large (or XXL) helmets. The models in question were made between May 2011 and last October, according to a notice posted Saturday on the NHTSA's web site.
Vega, based in Tukwila, Wash., said it will replace the recalled helmets.
The NHTSA told Vega that four extra-large helmets didn't meet safety standards when tested earlier this year. The company investigated and found that the helmets fell out of compliance partially due to changes in the model's shell design. Vega told regulators that the helmet's design would be reconfigured immediately.
Vega doesn't know how many of the helmets in the recalled population failed to meet the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard so the company is recalling all of them, according to a letter from an attorney representing the company to an NHTSA official.
WHYY is your source for fact-based, in-depth journalism and information. As a nonprofit organization, we rely on financial support from readers like you. Please give today.


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So long, Victory! It's been good to know you.
News that Polaris Industries is shutting down the manufacture of its Victory motorcycles is roiling the small but loyal group of Victory owners across the U.S. Yet, in a way, it comes as no surprise. It's hard to find a Victory dealer when you're out on the road. Polaris never really made owning a Victory a cult thing.
I have spent many hours in motorcycle dealerships, selling and signing my books. What impressed me most was the way Harley-Davidson not only enforces its brand, but encourages it. Walk into a Victory dealer, and you may encounter a jacket or two, some motor oil and some T-shirts. The motorcycles may share space with ATVs, snowmobiles or other motorcycle brands. Walk into a Harley dealer, and it's all Harley. H-D clothing, motor oil, bar stools, drinkware — that Harley-Davidson shield is on everything! If there is a competing bike brand on the showroom floor, it's probably been traded in for a Harley.
Two summers ago, we attended the national rally of the Victory Motorcycle Club in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. Our Victory, a 2002 Deluxe Touring Cruiser, was easily the oldest of the thousands of bikes parked at the hotel. There was a distinct "underdog" camaraderie among the riders. We all knew Victory motorcycles were good. But, like car-rental firm Avis used to say in its advertising, there was also a feeling of "We Try Harder." We all wondered what Polaris' acquisition of the Indian brand would mean.
And now we know. Indian will once again go head-to-head with Polaris, and Victory will be no more. Indian will still have long way to go to take market share from H-D. Even if the Victory dealerships are replaced with Indian dealerships, they will still be too few and far between. Which is why we traded our Victory last summer for a Harley Road King. Harley dealers are much easier to find when you're a long way from home.
Posted on January 11, 2017, in Harley Davidson, Motorcycles, Polaris, Victory motorcycle and tagged Avis, H-D, Harley, Harley Davidson, Indian, Polaris, Polaris Industries, Victory motorcycles. Bookmark the permalink. 1 Comment.


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St. Anthony of the Desert was a wealthy landowner in the third century. Upon walking into church one day when he was 34, he heard Jesus' words proclaimed: "If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give it to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me" (Matthew 19.21).
Anthony took those words literally. He gave away some of the family estate and sold the rest, giving the proceeds to the poor. He spent his remaining 57 years in the desert, living a life of asceticism and prayer, counselling people and inspiring the development of monasticism.
Anthony is but one example of how the Church is revitalized when the demands of the Gospel are presented in all their rigour.
Today perhaps we are afraid of scaring people off by presenting the Gospel as a challenge. Yet, when we look at our soft society, we see many people eager for a challenge. They run marathons, hire personal trainers to demand that they stress their bodies to the limit and assume added responsibilities in the workplace as much for the challenge as for the extra pay. There is a "market" for a hard, difficult life.
One misconception about the Second Vatican Council is that it made life easier for Catholics. It's true that the council was followed by a reduction in the number of obligatory days of fast or abstinence, Saturday evening Masses were permitted, Mass was no longer celebrated in a difficult, archaic language and other Church disciplines were made less onerous.
However, a central council teaching was the universal call to holiness. The laity, in particular, were no longer to be satisfied with obeying the Ten Commandments and precepts of the Church. The council stated that all the faithful "are invited and obliged to holiness and the perfection of their own state of life." We are all called to the "pursuit of perfect love" and "the spirit of evangelical poverty" (Constitution on the Church, 42).
The clearest evidence that few have taken up this call is the small numbers who frequent the sacrament of Confession. We labour under the illusion that this sacrament exists primarily to forgive mortal sins.
In fact, Confession is a positive sacrament that not only forgives sins, but also fills us with grace to avoid future sins and live out our love of God and neighbour. In Confession, we examine our lives and resolve to take actions to avoid especially those sins that are habitual.
The call to holiness means accepting the challenge of the confessional. This sacrament will bear little fruit if we only receive it once or twice a year. There is no shame in admitting the Christian life is difficult and that in order to live it well we need to make frequent use of Confession throughout the year.


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Just a quick post this evening as I try to figure out the grocery list for the week. Once again this week I am trying to work on some of the food we have in the freezer and refrigerator.
One item I need to get out of the freezer is part of a box of Sandwich Petals. I ordered two boxes of them back when they had their Buy One, Get One deal and I couldn't eat them quick enough so I put the second box in the freezer. I hope they are still good. I couldn't decide whether I wanted to make enchiladas or quesadillas with them… But I think in honor of not turning the oven on, I will be making quesadillas. I also have a lot of leftover shredded cheese from making pizza.
So here's the plan:
Sichuan Tofu with Garlic Sauce and Steamed Broccoli
Black Bean Quesadillas with Rice and Salad
Lemon Quinoa Salad
Pasta with Chickpeas, Sun Dried Tomatoes and Goat Cheese
This menu plan is posted over at Org Junkie on Meal Plan Monday – be sure to check it out for other ideas.


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The viral video of an American professional wrestler's reaction to a speeding ticket last weekend in Edmonton was rehearsed.
World Wrestling Entertainment wrestler Lacey Evans tweeted a statement on Monday saying she does not condone, agree with or promote disrespecting law enforcement officers or make their jobs harder than they already are.
She said the video — which shows her calling an Edmonton traffic officer "nasty" and grabbing a speeding ticket out of his hand — was "created by both parties to promote the local live event taking place in the Edmonton area."
Evans, a former law enforcement officer herself, was in Edmonton for a WWE Live event on Saturday night.
"As a sports entertainer, it is my job to not only entertain, but also set the proper example," she tweeted.
"I'm glad you all were entertained, but if you ever try to honestly disrespect or put my brothers and sisters in blue in harm… I hope you get what you ask for."
PSA. Listen up ya nasties. 💅👒 pic.twitter.com/ic0WI2zNGZ
— Lacey Evans ~ WWE Superstar (@LaceyEvansWWE) September 23, 2019
Alberta RCMP confirmed that while the Sept. 21 speeding infraction stop was real, the interaction in the video was rehearsed.
Police said Monday that Evans, whose real name is Macey Estrella-Kadlec, "engaged in a courteous and polite conversation" with the officer after the ticket was issued, and identified herself as a WWE wrestler.
"She asked … if he would participate in a rehearsed interaction on camera with her WWE persona," the release said. "The member obliged."
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May 12, 2009 — -- As Farrah Fawcett publicly battles terminal anal cancer, tabloids continue to clamor for the latest information about the 62-year-old's condition as the television icon fights to protect her privacy and patient rights.
In a move reminiscent of her famed show "Charlie's Angels," the '70s cover girl carried out her own sting operation to stop leaks about her condition.
And she gave the details of her sleuth skills to the Los Angeles Times in an exclusive interview that took place in August 2008 but wasn't published until Monday.
Fawcett said she had long suspected tabloids were getting a constant flow of information on her condition from inside the UCLA Medical Center, the hospital where she was being treated.
"When she would see an eye doctor, there would be a tabloid report she was going blind; when she got a pap smear, they'd say she was having a hysterectomy," said Los Angeles Times reporter Charles Ornstein, who spoke exclusively to Fawcett in August about her condition.
So when Fawcett's doctor told her that her cancer had returned in 2007, she deliberately withheld the news from her friends and family in order to prove that someone from the hospital was leaking information.
"I set it up with the doctor. I said, 'OK, you know and I know.' And I knew that if it came out, it was coming from UCLA," Fawcett said. "I couldn't believe how fast it came out — maybe four days.
The hospital discovered an employee had tapped into Fawcett's information more often that her own doctors. Fawcett asked the hospital for the employee's name, but it refused to give it to her.
"They said, 'We have a responsibility to protect our employees,'" Fawcett said.
"And I said, 'More than your patients?'" Fawcett recalled asking.
Eventually, after months of requests, UCLA gave Fawcett's lawyers the name of the administrative specialist who had gone through her records, the Los Angeles Times reported. Just as the hospital moved to fire Lawanda Jackson in July 2007, she quit, the paper said.
Prosecutors learned that the National Enquirer had paid the employee more than $4,600 for the actress's medical information, beginning in 2006. The checks were made out to Jackson's husband.
Jackson pleaded guilty in December to a felony charge of violating federal medical privacy laws for commercial purposes, but she died in March of cancer before she could be sentenced.
A spokesman for the UCLA Medical Center said they were "disturbed" by the release of Fawcett's private medical information and have "worked diligently" in the past year to ensure patient privacy.
Farrah Fawcett's Future, Family Troubles
Today, the former pinup girl, known for her golden tresses, has lost her once-defining trait.
According to her longtime companion, Ryan O'Neal, Fawcett has lost her iconic blond hair and her condition is deteriorating.
"She's in bed with an IV. They're not trying any great measures to save her," O'Neal told People magazine.
Reports surfaced that the always slender Fawcett had shrunk to 84 pounds. It's a claim her doctor refuted on "Good Morning America" in April.
"She is 101 pounds. She has challenges every day with the fight with cancer. As long as she is able to fight, she will keep fighting," said Dr. Lawrence Piro. Piro said Fawcett had a "reasonable weight" under the circumstances.
In addition to her health struggles, Fawcett also has had to deal with her son's legal issues.
O'Neal and Fawcett's son, Redmond O'Neal, is currently behind bars for a drug-related probation violation, but the 24-year-old was allowed to visit with his mother for what might be his final goodbye.
"He crawled into bed with her in his jail jumpsuit and his shackles on, and he cuddled with his mother and cried," Ryan O'Neal told People magazine. O'Neal told Redmond not to rattle his shackles and to hide them from his mother.
Redmond is said to be terrified for his mother, but Fawcett remains hopeful that her fight for medical privacy might be part of her legacy.
"I'm holding onto the hope that there is some reason that I got cancer and there is something," Fawcett said. "I might not be very clear to me right now, but that I will do."


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A Literary Critique Of Layoff Memos
With so many layoffs going down today, it's a good time to take a look at how, exactly, a layoff memo should be written. Actually, any time you're critiquing a flood of layoff memos is by definition a bad time. But we'll disregard that for the moment. People need to be let down in the proper way, lest they get justifiably angry enough to put managers up against the wall. After the jump, we analyze five elements of today's memos that illustrate everything you corporate flacks need to know about firing people like us:
1. Be honest: The worst thing a layoff can be is full of shit. At least have the common courtesy to tell the truth. From MTV's memo today:
We all know there's a fundamental restructuring of our entire economy going on, and it extends beyond our borders. This is not just about MTVN, Viacom or even sister media companies – it's happening in every industry, all over the world. This doesn't make it easier to say goodbye to people we love and respect, but it is the hard truth. In these tough times, we are responsible for sustaining and reinventing our company as thoughtfully as we can. The changes we're making today are necessary, difficult, and the responsible way for us to move forward.
This is true, straightforward, and not patronizing.
2. But not too honest: Perfect honesty demands admitting that the people you laid off are the ones you consider disposable. Don't do that. You must, must fellate your departing employees to the extent possible without seeming absolutely fake. Elsewhere in that MTV memo:
Everyone here contributes to MTVN and Viacom every single day and night without exception. We hate to see dedicated friends and co-workers leave us, and we say goodbye with care, gratitude, support and respect.
The first sentence is patently false for any large organization. The second sentence may or may not be true. Still, it's a nice thought.
3. Remember your audience: Your audience here—your most important audience—is people who are being laid off. Employees with safe jobs, the media, and the general public will all get hold of these memos and read them, but really, you have to cater to the dead here. From Viacom's memo today:
Viacom's long-term health will depend on our shared commitment to adapt, to innovate and to make difficult choices. To compete and thrive, we need to create an organization and a cost structure that are in step with the evolving economic environment.
Do you know how much newly laid-off employees care about Viacom's long-term health? Not much. They just got laid off. Keep the focus on the people.
4. Look like you put some thought into it: Being cold and perfunctory is almost as bad as being a see-through fake. Sure, executives and their flacks would rather be sniffing blow in a golf cart than approving layoff memos. But you people still have jobs, so suck it up and try to say something non-robotic. Universal Pictures' memo today is only four short paragraphs, the last three of which say this:
While much has been accomplished to find necessary savings, we regret that we must also reduce headcount by around 3%. No company likes to have to make these kinds of decisions, and certainly we are no exception. We want to assure you that everyone has done their best to keep job cuts to an absolute minimum.
The process of communicating with those individuals whose positions are affected has begun today and will continue for the next few days.
We appreciate the effort from everyone who has participated in this difficult process.
Yada yada. The tone is indistinguishable from an internal memo announcing that staplers must be signed out of the supply closet from now on. Shed a tear or two, fuckers.
5. Every time you use corporate doubletalk, an angel dies: Actual human sentences—try them! When ushering hundreds of people out the door, avoid standard management-speak, like this from Paramount's memo today:
Without question, the changes we implement today required us to make difficult choices. We take these steps after a careful analysis of our overall business and as part of a broader strategy to overcome the challenges of this unusual time in the market and to chart a successful course for the future.
As we look ahead, we are encouraged by the strength of our slate, the quality of our creative partners, the innovation we see on the lot every day and the projects we have in development. These assets, coupled with your talent and hard work, I believe will enable us to remain strong over the long term.
With that, your newly unemployed workers may leverage their strategic capabilities to steal a lot of stuff on the way out. [Pic via]


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REDLANDS >> When a meter reader arrived at Cathy Rodriguez's home Thursday morning, she asked the man to wait outside the gate until she brought her three Yorkshire terriers inside her home.
But according to Rodriguez, the Southern California Gas Company employee didn't wait, and that's when things went wrong.
"The next thing she knew, the meter reader was inside the property and the dogs circled around behind him," said Frank Padilla, humane officer with the Humane Society of San Bernardino Valley. "He swung around with the stick and struck (one of the dogs) in the head. The dog instantly went into convulsions."
Bean Bean, a 6-pound dog, died of blunt force trauma to her head at a veterinary hospital.
The 10:30 a.m. incident in the 1400 block of Washington Street is being investigated by the Humane Society.
Padilla said he planned to interview the meter reader and his supervisor Friday afternoon.
"At this point, we don't know if it's a civil or criminal matter," Padilla said. "We're still trying to gather everything."
Rodriguez's husband, Clem, said the meter reader mentioned he had been bitten by three other dogs the same day.


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By Bob Groeneveld/Langley Advance Times
At first, Brad Jalbert didn't know that his rose was going to be named for Bette Midler.
The Langley rose breeder with international credentials just knew that the New York Botanical Gardens wanted to honour "someone special."
And the rose they wanted would have to be "bawdy, brass, and bold, but it also had to be divine."
"I had a big white rose that looks like it has a dollop of whipped cream on top," said Jalbert, who started Select Roses in Langley nearly 30 years ago to breed new roses – a number of which have gained international recognition, and are growing on four continents.
He sent the creamy white rose to an Ontario nursery – "I just breed them, somebody else grows them," Jalbert smiled.
And when that rose bloomed in Ontario, it was a hit.
"When they saw the rose," said Jalbert, "it was everything they hoped it to be."
The luscious white rose, with the added bonus of "a little vanilla fragrance," is now The Divine Miss M, named after Bette Midler to honour her work as founder of the New York Restoration Society.
Jalbert proudly noted that The Divine Miss M has successfully crossed the border, as well. "She has bloomed once for them in New York at the Peggy Rockefeller rose garden at the N.Y. Botanical Gardens this spring."
Now Jalbert is getting a reciprocal honour.
He is being recognized at the N.Y. Restoration Society's Spring Picnic next week, on June 19, at the N.Y. Botanical Garden in the Bronx.
"I am being honoured with some other people," he said.
With him at the head table will be Stephen Scanniello, prominent gardener, rosarian, histoiran, and author – and the person who first approached Jalbert on behalf of the N.Y.B.G. with the request to honour "someone special."
Jalbert is hoping to meet Bette Midler at the annual Spring Picnic – she is someone he admired long before he knew he had bred a rose in her honour – and he expects that part of his function at the picnic will be to speak about and promote roses.
Besides the Spring Picnic, Jalbert said, his trip includes a full schedule. He'll be visiting other gardens by sepcial invitation from Scanniello while he's in the New York area.
"I will have to go and be the Rose Man," he half-joked.
It's a role he has played most of his life.
Although he prefers staying in the background while working with and for roses, he's "not nervous at all" when he has to take the stage.
"I can go on talking about roses forever."
Perhaps it's the result of a skill he honed as a public speaking and demonstration competitor when he was a 4-H member in Langley, so many years ago.
"I guess I'm a big deal now," he laughed, "but my family keeps me in check."


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The Wedding at Cana is the only instance AFAIK where Mary asks Jesus to perform a miracle.
Is there any indication or insight as to why she did so ? Was the family very close to her/them ?
Or was it simply the time for Jesus to perform a public miracle and it came about in this manner?


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Occupy Wall Street Now Has a Super PAC
Embracing Occupy Wall Street means embracing the language of the 99 percent—even when you're filing for a super PAC.
Embracing Occupy Wall Street means embracing the language of the 99 percent—even when you're filing for a super PAC. Today, an election lawyer tipped us off to a Federal Election Commission filing for a brand new super PAC: The Occupy Wall Street Political Action Committee. It's the type of document that's typically stuffy and technical, but less so when the treasurer of the super PAC is an Occupy organizer. Note the mailing address that's listed above.
It looks like a high school prank but the committee's treasurer John Paul Thornton promises us it's anything but. "We're utterly serious," he tells The Atlantic Wire. A data technician in Decatur, Alabama, Thornton says he's an active member in his state's Occupy movement, contacting state representatives and city council-members, participating in weekly general assembly meetings, and staying active in his local branch's private and public online forums.
With the 200 members of his online forum and 1,800 on the Occupy Huntsville, Alabama Facebook page, he wants to raise money for federal candidates pledging to get money out of politics, including Massachusetts Senate candidate Elizabeth Warren and Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders. "It's going to be fairly democratic. We'll take opinions on how much candidates need and in what areas.
Of course, if he wants to abide by FEC standards, he'll have to tighten up his FEC filings. Brett Kappel, counsel at the DC law firm Arent Fox, said some of the titles Thornton filled out for himself such as "chief principle minister" and "keeper of records" aren't acceptable.
"There are only two acceptable titles – treasurer and custodian of records," says Kappel, who initially flagged the filing for us. "The FEC will probably send him what's called a Request for Additional Information (RFAI) letter asking him about the innovative titles." When told that the title he created for himself in the filing wouldn't pass muster, he said, "Ah c'mon. Have a sense of humor. If they want to scratch that out and say CEO that's fine."
We found it a little odd that Thornton, who decries corporate money in politics, is establishing a mechanism for raising unlimited corporate funds. "It does seem counterintuitive," he said. "I am out to get the bloated amounts of money out of politics but to do that, we need to support candidates looking to do that."
You can see the whole filing here.


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|System: X360, PS3, PC
|Review Rating Legend
|Dev: IO Interactive
|1.0 - 1.9 = Avoid
|4.0 - 4.4 = Great
|Pub: Eidos Interactive
|2.0 - 2.4 = Poor
|4.5 - 4.9 = Must Buy
|Release: August 17, 2010
|2.5 - 2.9 = Average
|5.0 = The Best
|Players: 1 (2+ Online)
|3.0 - 3.4 = Fair
|ESRB Rating: Mature
|3.5 - 3.9 = Good
There are three main multiplayer modes to choose from, two of which are completely new for this game. Fragile Alliance makes a return from the first Kane & Lynch, and the gameplay consists of you and a group of other players pulling off a heist, grabbing the loot, and trying to escape before youre gunned down by the cops. The twist is, players on your side can turn on you and nab your cash. The player with the most loot at the end of the round wins.
The other two modes are Undercover Cop and Cops & Robbers. Undercover Cop is set up similarly to Fragile Alliance, though one player in each round is randomly, and secretly, chosen to be an undercover cop. As the cop, its your mission to stop the criminals and retrieve the stolen loot. Lastly, Cop & Robbers simply pits teams of players against each other, with the cops side working to stop the robbers before they can make it to their escape vehicles.
All of the multiplayer modes have fun and interesting elements I found intriguing. However, the rounds are too short, the atmosphere from the story mode all but disappears in multiplayer, and the levels are tiny. In just a few short hours, youll pretty much see everything Dog Days has to offer, and it hardly amounts to a full-priced, retail product.
Thats a shame too since the production values are definitely AAA-quality. There are a few things here and there I could pick apart: movement blur looks good but its not always conducive to good gameplay, and certain bits of texture work arent as pretty as others, but as a whole, Dog Days looks good. The handicam visual style is an interesting approach that really helps drive home the violent nature of the two main characters and the world they run around in.
I wish the same could be said for the voice acting, but its not all A-list material. The actors often unnecessarily exaggerate their lines, and though I never felt like profanity was used gratuitously, the dialogue wasnt always great. Hearing the characters bark at each other while they remained mostly stationary and their mouths barely moved kept me from ever truly caring about them or their stories. The music and sound effects, however, serve the gameplay well.
After running Kane & Lynch 2: Dog Days through its paces, I wanted to love the game. In some ways, the franchise seems greatly misunderstood. Dog Days has more in common with Left 4 Dead than a typical action adventure, and the multiplayer modes are definitely something different. The story mode co-op (both online and off) is another appreciated addition, though some of the matchmaking options are a tad archaic. Though Dog Days wasnt exactly what I was expecting, I enjoyed its arcade approach. Unfortunately, the design and breadth of content dont come close to justifying the price. Had this been a $15 game folks could download from PSN or XBLA, it would be much easier to recommend.
Tony Capri
CCC Freelance Writer
Game Features:


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Should we make a room for GS on there, then? I think Celdur had one but it's abandoned.
That quote is actualy very witty, Celdur. I suggest you use that in your signature.
Brandonazz: you have more warped taste in internet media than most druggies I've met, y'knowBrandonazz: not that I'm complainingInkling: maybeInkling: in this case i'm just older than you
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Antartida Black Font by Latinotype
About: Antartida is a sans serif typeface, while it is monolinear simple structure give it a kind of neutral feeling, is functional, clean and minimal. Is a family of 8 fonts, 4 weights and italics. This typeface contains alternate glyphs that help to emphasize text or headlines.
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America in Gridlock: [VIDEO] Keep on Trucking?
Blueprint America -- with NOW on PBS -- in a report with correspondent Miles O'Brien looks at the massive amount of freight moved throughout the country -- by trucks and by trains. But the aging infrastructure they run on needs more investment. Still, in these economic times money is hard to come by -- if the economy is to improve, though, the freight system that moves the country's goods needs to keep moving.


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Today Dapper Cadaver's Monster Monday Blog dives down to the bottom of the sea for one of the strangest, and rarest creatures on earth- the Dumbo Octopus.
They live all over the world in depths of 12,000 feet and below. They've discovered new species of them as recently as 2007 and while most are 20cm and below, some grow to over 5 feet. If you're in Sarasota, Florida, then I highly recommend visiting the Mote Marine Laboratory which is offering lectures and encounters with their favorite sea monsters, including the dancing pink elephant with the weird ear-wings, the dumbo Octopus.
Watching the Dumbo Octopus swim is like watching a bird crossed with a pac-man ghost. It flaps its wings instead of jets around like it's blue water cousins. It also has unnervingly human eyes, complete with what appears to be pink eye lids, whites, and irises. Their familiar eye just adds to their oddness though, as there is nothing else familiar about their face, and you can't figure out which end is the front.
Closer to the ground they move by spinning and fluttering their webbed arms like a pinwheel.
The males are armed with a tentacle-like hectocotylus, which is a word you really ought to know if you watch enough anime.


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No. 5 Michigan beats No 9. Minnesota
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Tim Hardaway Jr. scored 21 points and Trey Burke had 18 points and nine assists to help No. 5 Michigan stave off No. 9 Minnesota 83-75 on Thursday night.
Hardaway hit four 3-pointers in the first half for the Wolverines (17-1, 4-1 Big Ten), who had the lead for the final 33 minutes of the game and finished with 13 steals to fuel their fast break. Nik Stauskas added 11 points.
Austin Hollins led the Gophers (15-3, 3-2) with 21 points and four steals, and Trevor Mbakwe had 13 points, 10 rebounds and five blocks. Andre Hollins was drawn into early foul trouble, but he came alive after halftime to finish with 13 points and four assists.
The Gophers crept back in the game after falling behind by 19 points early in the second half but squandered some opportunities to really make the Wolverines worry. Joe Coleman missed three of four free throws in the final 4 minutes.


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Beijing vows efforts to fight pollution
China's capital Beijing will strengthen measures to combat pollution, state media reported Tuesday, amid public anger over the dangerous air quality in the sprawling metropolis.
Acting mayor Wang Anshun told the city's legislature that steps will include removing old vehicles from roads, shutting down coal-fired plants and planting more greenery, the official Xinhua news agency reported.
"Beijing will complete afforestation of 66,000 hectares (163,020 acres) to make the city's forest coverage hit 40 percent or above" over the next five years, Wang said.
"Its total emissions of major pollutants will continue to be reduced."
Wang's comments came after dense smog engulfed large areas of northern China, including the capital, earlier this month, sparking public anger and media criticism.
At the height of the pollution, Beijing authorities said readings for PM2.5—particles small enough deeply to penetrate the lungs—hit 993 micrograms per cubic metre, almost 40 times the World Health Organisation's safe limit.
Experts quoted by state media blamed weak winds, saying fog had mixed with pollutants from vehicles and factories and had been trapped by mountains north and west of Beijing. Coal burning in winter was also a factor.
Wang said Beijing would retire 180,000 old vehicles and encourage the use of clean-energy autos in government departments.
The city would replace heating systems in 44,000 old, single-storey homes and coal-burning boilers with clean energy alternatives as well as control dust in construction, Wang said.
Beijing plans to close about 450 plants that spew large amounts of pollution, the report quoted municipal authorities as saying.
"The core issue with Beijing's air quality is the growing population," Xinhua quoted Jiang Yi, director of the Energy Saving Studies Centre at Tsinghua University, as saying.
"Currently, the population burden on Beijing's environment has reached maximum levels," Jiang said. "Pollution treatment cannot go on without population control."
Beijing's population stood at 20.69 million people at the end of 2012, an increase of half a million from the previous year, Xinhua said, citing the Beijing Municipal Statistics Bureau.
A total of 16.33 million people lived in Beijing in early 2008, it said.
(c) 2013 AFP


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by Pink Gin
The theme of the May LUPEC Boston meeting was Travel.
We live in an amazing time when women have status and choices and when travel is cheap and easy. The ladies of LUPEC Boston celebrated the convergence of these 'movements' with food, drink, conversation, and authentic costumes from around the world. Featured readings came from Stuff at Night (on the topic of LUPEC's Little Black Book of Cocktails), the Complete Book for the Intelligent Woman Traveler by Frances Koltun, published in 1967 (on the lively topic of bidets), and Easy to Make Maidens and Cocktails: A Mixing, Swingers Bar Guide published by Enrol in 1965 (illustrated with a saucy dame for each base spirit).
Recipes were selected on the theme of travel, including the traveler's imperative to seek out local specialties – in this case, JP!
Monday-night Mug
2 bottles of Cantina Bostonia White Table Wine
~12 oz. Picon
~6 oz. St. Germain
10-12 dashes orange bitters
1 lemon
Mix the refrigerated wine and other liquid ingredients into a punch bowl. Slice the lemon and float on top.
This recipe was inspired by the French classic of mixing local white wine and Picon. Cantina Bostonia is the only Boston-based wine maker. They make sulfite-free wines just a few blocks away in the brewery complex. The wines have plenty of character and will definitely remind you of homemade. In this case the recipe testing and decision to create a punch came late the night before the LUPEC meeting. Thanks to k. montuori for recipe development and for saying, "In JP you don't get punched, you get mugged."
Recipe as given in the Little Black Book.
Inspired by thoughts of the high seas, of course!
Recipe as given in the Little Black Book. Harpoon Cider is the featured Boston ingredient.
~1 tsp. sugar of any sort (I happened to have agave syrup last night and it was fine)
2 oz. Irish whiskey (Powers was the brand on hand)
8 oz. stovetop espresso brewed with a generous portion of red pepper flake (thanks to mcoffee for the brew)
Heavy cream (from a New England farm of course)
Assemble the sugar, whiskey, and coffee in a stemmed glass. Stir. Whip unsweetened cold cream to desired consistency (I like it just shy of soft peaks) and carefully spoon on top. One story has it that the original Irish Coffee was invented in the Shannon International Airport Lounge. Truth or fiction? Who cares! The secret is in the spice.


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[cnn-photo-caption image= http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2009/images/07/29/art.mikeross0729.gi.jpg caption="Arkansas Rep. Mike Ross is among the conservative Democrats being targeted by the Club for Growth's new health care ad campaign."]WASHINGTON (CNN) - The anti-tax Club for Growth is launching a $1.2 million ad campaign in four states pressuring Democratic members of Congress to "oppose government-run health care."
The spot makes the claim that in England, the government-administered health care system makes decisions about when patients should die.
"Life and death medical decisions should be made by patients and doctors, not politicians and bureaucrats," says the ad's narrator.
The 30-second ad will begin running Thursday in Nevada, Colorado, Arkansas and North Dakota. Several of the Democratic legislators being targeted hail from conservative districts and might have to answer for their health care vote in the 2010 midterms.
"Members of Congress who would support a plan that raises taxes and involves the government in some of the most important and personal decisions in our lives will hear from us," said the Club's president Chris Chocola in a statement announcing the campaign.
According to the Club, the ads will run throughout the August congressional recess.
The group said the campaign is aimed at Nevada Sen. Harry Reid; Colorado Sens. Michael Bennet and Mark Udall; Arkansas Sens. Blanche Lincoln and Mark Pryor; and North Dakota Sens. Byron Dorgan and Kent Conrad.
Targeted members of Congress include Arkansas Reps. Marion Berry, Vic Snyder, and Mike Ross; Colorado Reps. Diana DeGette, Jared Polis, John Salazar, Betsy Markey, Ed Perlmutter, and North Dakota Rep. Earl Pomeroy.
Several of those Democrats have already been taking heat over the airwaves: The Republican National Committee ran television ads last month in three of those states - Nevada, Arkansas and North Dakota - casting doubt on the president's health care effort.
If this universal healthcare legislation goes through, with so many people now against it (those of us who stand to lose healthcare quality, pay more taxes, or endure rationing) there stands to be a change in the democrat-republican ratios in Congress in the next elections.
My big question is how easy will it be to reverse this if it turns out to be a disaster. No one can answer that (the dems deny that that's a possibility and the republicans think it won't be reversible).
These paid Corporate Fascists should have their photos on wanted posters and milk cartons for crimes against uninsured children.
Since when is it "COMPETITION" for a "NON-profit" (IE: the Federal government) to "compete" with a "for profit" entity (such as Insurance Companies) ??
If this is allowed, the next step to be taken will be when Government owned GM attempts to sell their new "green" cars and no one is biting due to an excessive, "union forced" excessive price tag……so then in steps the owner of GM (Obama) and offers a gov. paid subsidy to purchase their car. What about Ford, who did not take any bailouts etc…..will that be "COMPETITION"?
I have worked at whatever job I could get, I have cut weeds on the highway right-of-ways for $2.50 an hour, I have never taken (nor have I expected) anything from the government! Don't you see what is going on??? The Dems will soon own everything and you as well….WHY? So you will vote for them!
Get up and do what you have to do and quit looking to Obama to take care of you!
Follow the money. Google – Club for Growth – and it is easy to find out just who these people are. Thier membership is primarily financiers and Wall street types. They are a 427 group that is also a PAC. Currently largly funded by--you guessed it, the insurance industry! Who-da thunk?
Instead of all these groups wasting money on their "for or against" stands why not just "chip in" and help us get to some type of health insurance reform? Seems an incredible waste of money to me, with people going without health care and families going hungry. Let's just get 'er done!
"Life and death medical decisions should be made by patients and doctors, not politicians and bureaucrats," says the ad's narrator.
How about health insurance companies? Where do they fit in?
The way Republicans talk, you would think health insurance didn't exist, and all health issues are handled by patients and their doctor. If that was the case, we wouldn't even be having this debate.
I've said it before, I'll say it again: The government may not be perfect, but I'd rather have them as the "middleman" in my health care than some HMO that only cares about making money.
The Canadian health Care system is also being used as a scare tactic. As a Canadian I can tell you that we used to have a wonderful system. We saw a doctor when we needed to, went to the ER if necessary. Care was excellent and prompt. The latest health technologies were free.
Now, the insurance companies and private clinics are starting to get involved. A PAP test used to be free. Now it costs $100. You have to wait 3-6 months for an MRI or pay $500 to have one right away. What concerns me is that once these private companies start charging for health treatment, there is no limit to what we will have to pay. As well, if our big sister to the South isn't able to have a fair health care system, it won't be long before the big corporations take over our health care as well.
The club for growth?
Brother! I bet these losers will next start an expensive ad campaign to prove that the Earth is flat.
Anyone who is "anti tax" should lose police and military protection, the right to drive on public streets, and the use of everything else paid for by taxes.
Calling this plan "government run health care" is as incorrect as calling a grocery store a "government run supermarket" for accepting food stamps. You will STILL be able to see YOUR doctor, choose YOUR insurance plan, and have every freedom of choice therein. There will NOT be a "beauracrat standing between you and your doctor" like these liars would scare you to believe.
For all the talk about Sweden's health care, it is higher than the U.S. We are not #1. Sorry, but we are not.
I suggest you do a simple search to see which country is #1 for health care. It is not the US, as you think. We have a bunch of corporations who make a profit on collecting premiums and paying out less. That is not quality health care.
I live in a very conservative area where people hate government, but they love government programs like medicare, cash for old cars and.... I have a stable job and a good heath care. I'm against every kind of government programs including medicare and veteran heath insurance. Please ask the congress to vote down medicare, cash for old car, welfare of any kind. we don't like any of them
Show me a politician against healthcare reform and I'll show you one of the highest paid employees of any healthcare organization. Htese people are selling their soul to line their pockets with campaign money. They're not representing their people. They
re representing the healthcare companies who stand to lose millions if the American people are finally put first when it comes to healthcare.
GOP want more money from healt care companies thats why they dont want this bill to pass.. GOP is done!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It's about time.
Dear Mr. President,
Your campaign through the years to reform Health Care is absolutely necessary. We are spending an enormus amount of money for less care. I just paid three dollars a pill for high blood pressure medicine, which raised my pressure. I go to my doctor and pay through the nose for a few minutes of care.
Keep up the good work of trying to secure good care for us.
Congress has personal monetary interest in keeping insurance companies in big business. It's shameful that poor people don't realize this.
I am a vet who retired from the government after 35 years and I fully understand that the government CAN NOT RUN the health care reform, manage it maybe, but not run it. I stay away from the VA because it is so screwed up. If I want to go to the VA for support it would take me five to six weeks to see a doctor. People I will tell you you do not want government health. However I do agree that the currrent system is broke and is in need of repair. Please no government run program.
Are these the same people who said Obama pals around with terrorists and wasn't born in this country? Why should I believe anything they say?
Polls are totally useless and nothing more than media propaganda. Just go vote…and of course, if you want any work to get done…better vote in a Democrat cause Republicans don't work…just whine
cnn is losing viewership to msnbc and huffingtin post.cnn has become bias.All they do is focus on things to make the president look bad.lou dobbs and co.i am turning off my cable so i will not watch the bias coming from cnn,i hope others do the same.
Name the one system that will not kick you out if you get sick, uses AMA scientific evidense for coverage decisions, uses input from consumers and providers in payment policy, and will provide you coverage no matter how rich or poor you are....
Answer: Medicare!
Please say no to the Goverment run option.With such low reimbursement rates, half of the hospitals will shut down. People will have to wait days before they can get an appointment to see a nurse practicioner (forget about seeing a doctor) and yes the care provided will be minimun and very rationed. Did you know that 2 in every 10 people in UK had to pull out their own teeth because the waiting time to see a dentist was more than a month??!!
Doctors and patients don't make those decisions in the present system. Instead, bureaucrats in your health insurance company, who get paid bonuses to find ways to disallow health insurance payments, are making those decisions. I have to say, that rhetoric is what will eventually get reforms to the health care system passed, because a majority aren't buying the bull that the Club For Growth is spreading.


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No. 89; updated March 2017
Military families look forward to being together after a long deployment with many mixed emotions. Each family member will have different expectations. Every family situation is different. However, it is important to remember the needs and feelings of the returning family member, the adult or adults at home, and the children.
Understanding the Returning Family Member
Understanding the Adult that Stayed at Home
Understanding the Children
Understanding the Family
Give Everyone Time
Reunion of a military family after a long deployment is a cause for celebration. Some patience and understanding will go a long way to help the whole family successfully reunite with a minimum of problems. While most families cope successfully with the stress of the deployment and following reunion, problems can also develop. If such difficulties persist, the family should seek help from a qualified mental health professional.
For additional information:
Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress
Sesame Workshop
If you find Facts for Families© helpful and would like to make good mental health a reality, consider donating to the Campaign for America's Kids. Your support will help us continue to produce and distribute Facts for Families, as well as other vital mental health information, free of charge.
You may also mail in your contribution. Please make checks payable to the AACAP and send to Campaign for America's Kids, P.O. Box 96106, Washington, DC 20090.
The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP) represents over 10,000 child and adolescent psychiatrists who are physicians with at least five years of additional training beyond medical school in general (adult) and child and adolescent psychiatry.
Facts for Families© information sheets are developed, owned and distributed by AACAP. Hard copies of Facts sheets may be reproduced for personal or educational use without written permission, but cannot be included in material presented for sale or profit. All Facts can be viewed and printed from the AACAP website (www.aacap.org). Facts sheets may not be reproduced, duplicated or posted on any other website without written consent from AACAP. Organizations are permitted to create links to AACAP's website and specific Facts sheets. For all questions please contact the AACAP Communications Manager, ext. 154.
If you need immediate assistance, please dial 911.
Copyright © 2023 by the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.


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News In Brief
The US
Despite its denials, the government of China decided as early as 1995 to try to buy political influence in the US by contributing to congressional campaigns, the Los Angeles Times reported. The newspaper said the FBI uncovered the plan through intercepted communications between the Chinese Embassy in Washington and Beijing. At least $2 million was earmarked for the effort to counter what was perceived as Taiwan's disproportionate influence in the US, it said.
Chinese President Jiang Ze-min said he hopes his visit to the US next week will raise relations with the US "to a new level." In an interview with the The Washington Post, Jiang urged Americans to tolerate his country's political system. Meanwhile, US officials left for Beijing to try to fine-tune China's pledge to stop selling missiles to Iran and helping to develop the Iranian nuclear program, two issues Jiang is expected to discuss with President Clinton when they meet Oct. 29.
The world's two biggest accounting and consulting firms are expected to announce a merger this week, The New York Times reported. The proposed deal between Ernst & Young and KPMG Peat Marwick would result in a firm with revenues of $15.3 billion and nearly 12,000 partners.
Wall Street opens today after the Dow Jones Industrial Average sank 119 points Thursday and 92 points Friday. The Dow closed at 7847, down 198.18 for the week. The drop was unsettling for investors on the eve of the 10th anniversary of Black Monday - the second most famous crash in Wall Street history.
Health-insurance premiums for most policyholders are likely to rise by at least 5 percent next year, The New York Times reported. Citing insurance industry sources and consultants, it said the premiums charged to small employers with older workforces could increase by as much as 30 percent. The rates have remained stable for four years, largely because of the growth of managed-care programs.
The Federal Maritime Commission was to decide whether its threatened ban on Japanese shipping should be dropped permanently. This, after negotiators reached a deal in principle late last week that would give American shippers freer access to Japanese ports. The agreement came just hours before an order barring Japanese container ships from US ports was to take effect, disrupting billions of dollars in trade. The commission had voted to impose the ban after Japanese shipping companies refused to pay $4 million in fines.
American women in the military were honored with a new memorial at a dedication ceremony in Arlington National Cemetery. Vice President Gore, Defense Secretary Cohen, and other top officials praised the nation's nearly 2 million women who have joined the armed forces.
The Florida Marlins were to face off with the Cleveland Indians in Game 2 of the World Series in Miami. In Game 1 of their first appearance in the series, the Marlins won, 7-4.
While returning home from a week-long Latin America tour, Clinton phoned about a half-dozen members of Congress from Air Force One to lobby for "fast track" authority to negotiate trade deals. Congress returns this week for an end-of-session push on new trade authority and must-pass spending bills.
FBI Director Louis Freeh scheduled a news conference for tomorrow to announce the appointment of physicist Donald Kerr to head the agency's troubled forensics laboratory. Critics say Kerr lacks the proper scientific background for the job and has never run a crime laboratory. Kerr ran the US nuclear weapons program during the Carter administration.
Experts were called in to detonate eight Vietnam War-era bombs uncovered by workmen laying track in a railyard near Roseville, Calif. About 400 residents were asked to evacuate the area. The bombs apparently were left from a trainload of munitions bound for the war that exploded in 1973. One bomb found last week was detonated.
The World
Exactly what the US means by a "timeout" in the construction of Jewish settlements was expected to be a key issue in discussions between American envoy Dennis Ross and Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu in Jerusalem. Israel also planned to raise with Ross its demand that Palestinian Authority President Arafat do more to combat terrorism as well as its desire to bypass interim peace negotiations with the Palestinians and move directly to talks on a permanent settlement, a Netanyahu aide said. Ross also was to meet separately with Arafat.
Argentine President Carlos Menem endorsed President Clinton's call for including developing countries in international efforts to limit greenhouse gas emissions blamed for global warming. While agreeing to the concept, neither side has said what those limits should be. Clinton was unable to win such a pledge from Venezuela or Brazil, the other countries he visited in a week-long South American trip.
A presidential runoff election between an ally and a foe of Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic was held in Montenegro. Milosevic's proxy, Momir Bulatovic, edged challenger Milo Djukanovic in a vote Oct. 5, but failed to win an absolute majority. Analysts say a win by the reform-minded Djukanovic could lead to Milosevic's downfall.
Thailand's finance minister, Thanong Bidaya, threatened to resign after the government rescinded an oil tax imposed to help the country out of its economic crisis. Public outrage led Prime Minister Chavalit Yong-chaiyudh to scrap the tax late last week, only three days after he announced it. Thanong said the funds generated by the tax are necessary to meet revenue demands set by the International Monetary Fund as part of its $17 billion rescue package.
Handing over notorious Khmer Rouge leader Pol Pot for trial on genocide charges would be "no problem," the group said in a broadcast from hiding in Cambodia. But it said if an international tribunal heard Pol Pot's case, then Cambodian Prime Minister and coup leader Hun Sen also should be tried for "crimes, treason, and mass killings of the Cambodian people." Pol Pot's former followers sentenced him to life imprisonment for treason in June, although some analysts say the move may have been a propaganda ploy.
A discovery by British scientists could lead to the production of headless human clones, The Sunday Times of London reported. Scientists at Bath University say the method they used to create a frog embryo without a head could be combined with the recently discovered cloning technique to grow human organs and tissue for transplantation. Some scientists and ethicists accused the embryologists of meddling with nature.
Rival Kurdish groups in northern Iraq traded angry words over the cease-fire that began late last week. The Kurdistan Democratic Party accused the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) of an artillery attack that killed 10 of its followers over the weekend. The PUK said its fighters would retaliate unless captured territory was returned. The truce, brokered by the US, was another in a long series since fighting between the two sides broke out in 1994.
US drug policy adviser Barry McCaffrey met with government officials in Bolivia, where one-third of the world's cocaine is produced. After flying to the main cocaine producing region 500 miles south of La Paz, McCaffrey watched as soldiers destroyed illegal coca fields and incinerated $15 million worth of refined cocaine. Bolivia has pledged to eliminate coca-leaf cultivation within five years and must destroy 17,000 acres of the crop by the end of the year or face the loss of US aid.
It is morally regressive to create a mutant form of life."
- Oxford University ethicist Andrew Linzey, on the development of a headless frog embryo by British scientists.
If you got a Christmas card from Tung Chee Hwa last year, be advised that you're now off his list. As a matter of fact, everybody else is, too. The chief executive of Hong Kong has notified the environmental group Friends of the Earth by letter that he will send no official cards this year in an effort to help save trees. It is not known whether the letter was written on recycled paper.
Imagine the look on the insurance agent's face when Gael Bissell filed a damage claim. It seems the Missoula, Mont., resident and her family were at their cabin near Glacier National Park when a grizzly bear happened by. It headed straight for their Ford Explorer, smashed a window, climbed inside, chewed up the seats, and left. Bears forage resolutely for food this time of year to put on fat for winter hibernation: Perhaps someone in the family had spilled French fries. Yes, the claim was accepted.
The Day's List
Rating Privately Held Powerhouse Companies
A toothbrush with fast-moving bristles pushed Optiva Co. to the top of Inc. magazine's list of the 500 fastest-growing privately held businesses in the US. The publication's top 10:
1. Optiva, Bellevue, Wash. (makes "sonic" toothbrushes)
2. Duke & Co., New York (investment banking, placement, initial public offering services)
3. Natural Gas Transmission Services, Dallas (markets/trades natural gas and electricity)
4. Scrip Plus, Fresno, Calif. (provides funding resources)
5. Accord Human Resources, Oklahoma City (provides employee-leasing services)
6. New Work Technologies, Ashland, Mass. (develops computer software)
7. TH Properties, Franconia, Pa. (develops residential properties)
8. Commercial Financial Services, Tulsa, Okla. (restructures, collects loans)
9. International Profit Associates, Buffalo Grove, Ill. (management consulting services)
10. PhotoDisc, Seattle (publishes digital stock photographs online and on CD-ROM)
- Associated Press