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Rules of Engagement
Arun Rath
ANNOUNCER: Tonight on FRONTLINE: The Haditha incident was called a massacre-
BARHAM SALIH, Deputy Prime Minister, Iraq: These crimes are heinous crimes, terrible acts. I would even call what happened in Haditha a war crime.
ANNOUNCER: Marines accused of going on a rampage, killing Iraqi civilians in cold blood.
Rep. JOHN MURTHA (D), Pennsylvania: [MSNBC 'Hardball,' May 17, 2006] They went into houses and killed children, women and children. Twenty-four people they killed.
Lance Cpl. JUSTIN SHARRATT, Kilo Co., 3/1 USMC, '04-'06: The news saying that there were 24 innocent civilians killed, I-it's not accurate at all. My case proves it.
ANNOUNCER: In just a matter of weeks, military courts will decide.
GARY MYERS, Attorney for Lance Cpl. Sharratt: Haditha will be the case that causes the military to come to grips with the rules for insurgency combat in a way that they never have had to before.
ANNOUNCER: Tonight, on FRONTLINE, what really happened in Haditha.
NARRATOR: The story begins two-and-a-half years ago in a town called Haditha in western Iraq near the Syrian border, on the banks of the Euphrates River. Before the war, it was known as a serene oasis, a popular vacation spot. But by the fall of 2005, nearly three years into the war, Haditha was war-torn, and Sunni insurgents were in complete control.
Maj. JEFFREY DINSMORE, Intelligence Officer, 3/1 USMC, '05-'06: Insurgent traffic of foreign fighters, fighters from Syria, from places outside of Iraq came through the Haditha triad and then down into points south and east like Fallujah, and on into Baghdad.
NARRATOR: Control of Haditha was vital in order to protect a massive dam that provided electricity to all of Anbar province. To retake Haditha, the Marine Corps sent in some of its most battle-hardened men, Kilo Company from the legendary Third Battalion, First Marines, the Thundering Third.
Maj. JEFFREY DINSMORE: 3/1's one of the most decorated battalions in the Marine Corps. Their history goes on back through Vietnam, Korea, World War II. All the major conflicts that this country's been in, 3/1's been involved in.
NARRATOR: Iraq was no different. Barely a year before they were sent to Haditha, Kilo Company had taken another city back from insurgents in the most intense urban combat Marines had faced since Vietnam, the second battle of Fallujah.
Lance Cpl. JUSTIN SHARRATT, Kilo Co., 3/1 USMC, '04-'06: Fallujah was like the OK Corral, the wild, wild West.
Sgt. TIM TARDIF, Kilo Co., 3/1 USMC: When I first joined the Marine Corps, that's what I thought I'd do as a Marine. Here's the enemy. They're right there. Go get 'em. Just going house to house.
NARRATOR: The Marines took control of Fallujah after four weeks of heavy, close-quarter combat. And Kilo Company had been in the thick of it all.
BING WEST, USMC (Ret.), Author, No True Glory: Kilo Company in Fallujah performed magnificently. They took heavy casualties, but they just kept going and going and going.
NARRATOR: Now many of the same men were primed to face a similar situation in Haditha.
Sgt. TIM TARDIF: All our intel reports and everything had initially said that this was going to be, you know, a full on, like, Fallujah-type style clearing the city and whatnot and-so we were all amped up.
NARRATOR: But they were surprised by what they found.
Sgt. TIM TARDIF: The night the battalion set up to go push through Haditha and start clearing it, all I heard was crickets.
Sgt. JOSEPH HAMAN, Kilo Co., 3/1 USMC, '04-'06: No one attacked us. No one did anything. We just-we found an abandoned school and then we set up there.
NARRATOR: The Marines renamed the school Sparta, and made it their base of operation.
Sergeant Frank Wuterich, who would later be at the center of the Haditha incident, was on his first deployment to Iraq. Justin Sharratt was one of his men.
Lance Cpl. JUSTIN SHARRATT: To us, Haditha seemed like a very shady town. I mean, nothing really major happened, but just the way the people reacted with us and the way-we tried to help them and we tried to do all this for them. And it just-they just seemed to not like us the whole entire time.
NARRATOR: The insurgents that Kilo Company expected to fight had seemingly disappeared.
Maj. JEFFREY DINSMORE: When 3/1 entered the city, insurgents largely fled. We received intelligence that they had gone to the south to regroup and plan. And we expected that, unlike Fallujah, where they went toe to toe with Marines, they were not willing to do that in Haditha.
NARRATOR: For the first three weeks, their deployment was eerily quiet. The Marines uncovered IEDs and weapons caches, but there was hardly an insurgent to be seen. That was about to change. Intelligence officers say they began to notice increased enemy activity in the town.
Maj. JEFFREY DINSMORE: The presence of foreign fighters in town was an immediate indicator that something was in the works and that planning for a major attack was under way.
NARRATOR: That major attack would occur on November 19, 2005, a day the men of Kilo Company will never forget. The day began, like so many other days in Kilo Company's deployment, with a routine mission. Sergeant Frank Wuterich would lead a convoy escorting a fresh unit of Iraqi soldiers to a nearby checkpoint and bringing food to fellow Marines.
Sgt. JOSEPH HAMAN: Staff Sergeant Wuterich and his squad resupplied us that morning, probably about 6:30 or 7:00 or so. I remember a couple of my friends were in the same squad, so I was talking to them. My squad was on post at the time. They were getting ready to come off post. It was early in the morning. Everybody was tired-just talking to them. And then-then they ended up leaving.
NARRATOR: Sergeant Wuterich was in charge of four vehicles and 11 Marines. Among them were Lance Corporals Miguel Terrazas, Justin Sharratt and Stephen Tatum, Corporals Sanick Dela Cruz and Hector Salinas, and Private First Class Humberto Mendoza. At about 7:00 AM, as they drove west, a terrific explosion rocked Wuterich's convoy.
Justin Sharratt was in the lead vehicle.
Lance Cpl. JUSTIN SHARRATT: I heard a large explosion from behind me. I turned around to, you know, assess what happened. I remember seeing the second Humvee and the third Humvee. I remember calling that out. And then I don't remember seeing the fourth one.
NARRATOR: The fourth Humvee had been destroyed. Two Marines were wounded, and the driver, Lance Corporal Miguel Terrazas, was literally torn in half by the explosion.
Lance Cpl. JUSTIN SHARRATT: He was one of the greatest Marines I've ever known, but you don't have time to mourn. You don't have time to do any of that.
NARRATOR: Wuterich and some of his men engaged a car they deemed hostile near the scene of the explosion, killing its five occupants. They then advanced on these nearby houses after identifying them as the source of incoming fire. What the Marines could not have known was that their actions that morning would come to haunt them. But at the time, the fight continued.
Nearby, the battalion's command directed an unmanned aerial vehicle, called Scan Eagle, to monitor the fighting. This is some of the actual footage.
Maj. JEFFREY DINSMORE: The UAV video feed that we obtained shortly after the attack took place showed the insurgents fleeing the scene, showed them getting into a car, showed them moving north out of the area.
NARRATOR: Major Jeffrey Dinsmore was the battalion's intelligence officer in Haditha that November day. This is the first time he's spoken to the press about what happened.
Maj. JEFFREY DINSMORE: Simultaneously, throughout the morning, other squads from Kilo Company were coming under IED attack, as well. They were either discovering IEDs or they were coming under small arms fire attack at various locations in the city. It became apparent that this was the major insurgent re-infiltration of Haditha that we had been expecting.
NARRATOR: Joseph Haman's squad was dispatched to clear an insurgent safe house and came under intense attack.
Sgt. JOSEPH HAMAN: November 19th was the main day in the deployment. That one sole day was pretty much how fighting was done in Fallujah. It was that intense. It was close combat the whole time, where you're inside a house and five, six feet away from someone that's shooting back at you. That was the day of days in Haditha.
NARRATOR: By the end of the day, at least nine Marines had been wounded and Lance Corporal Miguel Terrazas had been killed. The death toll for the Iraqis was far higher. The Marines estimated 12 insurgents had died. In addition, 15 civilians had been killed, including 4 women and 6 children.
To the Marines at the time, the civilian deaths seemed unremarkable in the overall violence of that day and their experiences over multiple deployments in Iraq.
Sgt. JOSEPH HAMAN: You knew that some people were killed. But I mean, compared to the time-the deployment before that, I mean, people-I mean, it just happens.
NARRATOR: The following day, the Marine Corps issued a press release so inaccurate it would eventually lead to allegations of a cover-up. It made no mention of women and children killed in their homes by Marines. Instead, it simply said, A U.S. Marine and 15 Iraqi civilians were killed yesterday from the blast of a roadside bomb.
JOSH WHITE, The Washington Post: When I first saw it, it seemed a little bit unusual. That's a pretty high number of civilian casualties for your typical IED, your improvised explosive device.
NARRATOR: Still, newspapers went with this version and the story quickly faded.
JOSH WHITE: It didn't get a whole lot of attention I think because there were a lot of things going on both in Iraq and around the world. And as time went on, it faded. Certainly, we weren't following that particular case very closely.
NARRATOR: And Kilo Company also moved on.
JOSH WHITE: I think the unit sort of forgot about what had happened. They saw reports, early reports, about that press release in publications that were overseas, and they dismissed them. They sort if said, Well, that isn't quite right. But I think they figured, you know, the media doesn't always get it right. Sometimes those press releases aren't exactly right, and they didn't see it as problematic.
NARRATOR: The Marines celebrated Thanksgiving in their Haditha camp and saluted their fallen comrade, Lance Corporal Miguel Terrazas, in a traditional memorial service.
Sgt. JOSEPH HAMAN: Lance Corporal Terrazas, he was just the ultimate fun-loving guy. He was one of those guys that was just-if you needed a quick laugh or someone to go talk to, he was always there. And whatever he'd do or say would just make you laugh.
NARRATOR: But the Iraqis had not finished grieving for their dead, as the Marines learned earlier in a meeting with the Haditha City Council.
KHALID SALIM RASAYEF, Attorney for Haditha Families: [through interpreter] About a week after the incident, the city council met with the U.S. side, Major Hyatt from civil affairs and the commander of Haditha, Colonel Chessani. Many demands were presented in this meeting, and among those demands was opening a formal investigation into the incident.
Maj. DANA HYATT, Civil Affairs, 3/1 USMC, '05-'06: They were upset about what had occurred. They were upset that the Marines killed innocent people that day, from what they were saying.
NARRATOR: In a formal complaint, the city council referred to the incident as a crime of war and called the killings in the houses and at the white car executions. But the Marine command gave little credence to these allegations. They strongly suspected that the city council was backed by terrorists.
Maj. JEFFREY DINSMORE, Intelligence Officer, 3/1 USMC, '05-'06: The city council demonstrated through actions, and through information that we had received from various sources, that their allegiances largely lied-not all of them, but largely lied with the insurgency.
NARRATOR: No investigation was launched at that time, and the Marines thought that they had put the incident behind them.
Maj. DANA HYATT: It became more of a meeting of what can both sides do to-you know, This incident occurred. We'll deal with it the best that we can. And from here on out, though, what can we both do to prevent these incidents from happening in the future?
NARRATOR: But not everyone in Haditha would be satisfied. In fact, this video of the aftermath of the house clearings by Wuterich and his men was filmed by an Iraqi determined to get the story out to the rest of the world.
ABDUL RAHMAN AL MASHHADANI, Hammurabi Human Rights Org.: [through interpreter] A member of our organization is from Haditha, and by chance during the incident, he was visiting his family there, so he was able to film some of the scenes.
NARRATOR: Abdul Rahman al Mashhadani is the co-founder of the Hammurabi Human Rights Organization based in Baghdad.
ABDUL RAHMAN AL MASHHADANI: [through interpreter] When I first watched the film, I couldn't finish it because it was a horrible tragedy, the mutilation of the bodies, the brutal way of killing.
NARRATOR: Al Mashhadani says they tried to get the tape into the hands of the Arab media, but no one would pay attention. Finally, he showed it to TIME magazine's Baghdad Correspondent, Tim McGirk.
TIM McGIRK, TIME Baghdad Correspondent, '05-'06: The video was horrifying. And I said, Well, who did this? This is terrible. I sort of figured it was, you know, fighting, the usual sort of butchery that goes on between Sunnis and Shias. And they said, No, it was the U.S. Marines based in Haditha that carried this out.
I was stunned and I didn't believe it. So the next thing I did is, I just did a simple Google search about the events of November 19th.
NARRATOR: McGirk found the Marine press release dated November 20th saying that the civilians had been killed by a roadside bomb.
TIM McGIRK: So I thought back and I remembered several things. I remembered, first of all, the bodies of the people, the women and children, they were in their pajamas. And Iraq, it's a very traditional society. People don't go wandering around on the streets in their pajamas to get hit by an IED.
NARRATOR: There were also purported eyewitnesses on the videotape. Their stories, too, were completely at odds with the Marines' press release.
[Hammurabi Human Rights Organization video]
FAMILY MEMBER: [subtitles] We opened the door. My father was dead. We sat there. An American came in and shot at us. I pretended to be dead.
WITNESS: [subtitles] They opened the door and threw in a grenade. Then they went in. And there were women and children inside. And they eliminated the family. And these children were only 2 or 2 years old.
NARRATOR: McGirk wondered if commanders might be trying to conceal deliberate killings of civilians by the Marines. He wrote to the local Marine press officer.
TIM McGIRK: [reading] Why were the Marines unable or unwilling to distinguish women and children in daylight at close quarters from potential terrorists? Is there any investigation ongoing into these civilian deaths? And if so, have any Marines been formally charged?
NARRATOR: The officer who wrote back, Jeffrey Pool, was incredulous: To be honest, I can't believe you're buying any of this. There is no investigation. This falls into the same category of Al Qaeda in Iraq propaganda.
Maj. JEFFREY DINSMORE: We know that the Hammurabi video is insurgent propaganda because intelligence information received almost immediately after the events of November 19th indicated that the video had been recorded by an insurgent propagandist.
NARRATOR: But McGirk thought he had good reason to believe the claims on the tape.
TIM McGIRK: I had worked with the Hammurabi people before on other stories, and I think that it's wrong to smear them as pro-insurgent. These are people who are carrying out human rights work in Iraq.
NARRATOR: The Marines offered to transport McGirk to Haditha to look into their side of the story. McGirk declined, saying his editor felt it was too dangerous to go into Haditha. But his questioning produced results.
Maj. JEFFREY DINSMORE: There was an indication that-that because of his inquiries, the highest echelons of command were concerned about the events of November 19th.
NARRATOR: Within a month a full-scale investigation was under way. As part of the Navy, the Marine Corps falls under the jurisdiction of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service. The NCIS committed more than 60 agents to the case.
THOMAS BETRO, Director, NCIS: To dedicate 65 or so agents full-time to one investigation is probably-if-one of, if not the largest, effort we've put forth in an investigation in history since I've been on, which is about 25 years.
NARRATOR: But some in the Iraqi government weren't interested in the number of agents, they wanted to play a central role in the investigation.
WIJDAN MIKHAIL SALIM, Human Rights Minister, Iraq: [through interpreter] We presented a complete file to the American side about what happened in Haditha. Less than a week later, the Americans told us that we could not be a part of the investigation but they would keep us updated.
NARRATOR: Just as the NCIS started its investigation, TIME published Tim McGirk's story about the incident. But it ran on page 34 and got little play in the media.
JOSH WHITE: Because it was in Iraq, because it was in the war zone, it didn't get a whole lot of bounce, as they say in journalism. There weren't a whole lot of follow-ups to the TIME magazine story initially.
NARRATOR: Just a few months later, America-and the world-did take notice when Congressman John Murtha, a staunch opponent of the war, citing unnamed military sources, made a shocking charge during a press conference.
Rep. JOHN MURTHA (D), Pennsylvania: [May 17, 2006] It's much worse than reported in TIME magazine. There was no-there was no firefight. There was no IED that killed these innocent people. Our troops overreacted because of the pressure on them, and they killed innocent civilians in cold blood.
NARRATOR: To the Kilo Company Marines who were listening, Murtha's charges were outrageous.
Sgt. JOSEPH HAMAN: Hearing the speech from Murtha saying that they just went out and-with all the pressure on them, that they just went out and killed all these people, and that there was no IED and there was no firefight that day-I mean, it's just-it's a slap in the face. It's-it's-I mean, it disgusts you when-one-a guy that was loved by everybody in the whole company, almost the whole battalion, was killed by an IED that day. And then my own squad got into a firefight, which about 9 out of 12 people got injured that day from grenades or from being shot at, I mean, and saying that there was no firefight, it's just-I mean, it's-I mean, it's a straight slap in the face.
Rep. JOHN MURTHA: [CNN, May 30, 2006] They killed the people in the taxi. There was no firing at all. And this comes from-
NARRATOR: For the next two weeks, Murtha made the media rounds.
JOSH WHITE: He made the point, initially, to show the stress that U.S. troops were under, over in Iraq. And he was using it more as a pitch to bring U.S. troops home.
CHRIS MATTHEWS, Host, MSNBC Hardball: [May 17, 2006] Draw us a picture of what happened at Haditha.
Rep. JOHN MURTHA: Well, I'll tell you exactly what happened. One Marine was killed and the Marines just said, We're going to take care of it. They don't know who the enemy is. The pressure was too much on them.
JOSH WHITE: His comments certainly got our attention at The Washington Post. So when you have a member of Congress saying-and a Marine himself, I mean, someone who has served in the military previously, coming out and calling an event, cold-blooded murder, I think that was the point where people really started looking at this case.
NARRATOR: TIME magazine revisited the story in June 2006, this time placing it on the front cover.
TIM McGIRK: It was put on the front cover because by then, it had turned into a political story. Murtha had come out with his statements about it. And I think it also came at a time when there was an increasing malaise in the way the war was being carried out and why we weren't winning. And following on the heels of Abu Ghraib, this was one example in which the Americans were going about it wrong. How can you win the hearts and minds of the people when, suddenly, there's an incident in which 24 civilians die?
NEWSCASTER: Some are comparing the Haditha killings to the Vietnam massacre at My Lai.
NARRATOR: Haditha led the news for weeks and soon became synonymous with other outrages in the Iraq War, like Abu Ghraib.
BING WEST, USMC (Ret.), Author, No True Glory: Haditha, in my judgment, is a metaphor for how the press unconsciously, being in opposition to a war, will take an incident, and simply by reiterating it and reiterating it and reiterating it, build it into something that it wasn't.
[www.pbs.org: The media coverage of Haditha]
Rep. JOHN MURTHA: [CNN, May 30, 2006] We're supposed to be fighting this war for democracy, and yet something like this happens that sets us back. It's as bad as Abu Ghraib, if not worse.
Pres. GEORGE W. BUSH: [June 1, 2006] Obviously, the allegations are very troubling for me.
NARRATOR: As political pressure mounted that summer, the NCIS issued its internal report.
JOSH WHITE: The NCIS report, which was thousands of pages long, came back with recommendations for the command that there were crimes committed.
NARRATOR: At the same time, an independent Army investigation looked into the actions of senior officers.
JOSH WHITE: What they found was that there was a pervasive feeling from the unit on the ground all the way up to the top levels of the Marine Corps leadership in Iraq that Iraqi lives were not as important as the lives of Marines, that the deaths of innocent civilians are an unfortunate byproduct of war.
NARRATOR: And the press release at the center of the controversy was also scrutinized. It had been written by Marine Captain Jeffrey Pool, who said he'd just assumed any civilians who had died had been killed by insurgents. The report from the field that day had not specified who had shot the civilians.
Pool told investigators, It was all part of the attack. And that was what we were showing, 15 Iraqi civilians killed by an insurgent attack.
The Army investigation also found that, There was a tendency at all levels of command to view civilian casualties, even in significant numbers, as relatively routine.
JOSH WHITE: The report was extremely critical of people as high as-at the two-star general level, saying that they should have noticed that something was amiss. They should have asked questions. They should have started an investigation right away.
[www.pbs.org: Read the report]
Col. STEWART NAVARRE, U.S. Marine Corps: [Press conference, December 21, 2006] Based on the findings of the investigations, various charges have been preferred against four Marines relating to the deaths of the Iraqi civilians on 19 November, 2005. Also, charges have been preferred against four Marines for failure to properly report and/or investigate the deaths of the Iraqi civilians.
NARRATOR: Finally, in December 2006, the Marines were officially charged, making the incident one of the most significant criminal cases since the start of the Iraq War. Facing multiple charges of unpremeditated murder for the killings of the Iraqi civilians were Staff Sergeant Frank Wuterich, Sergeant Sanick Dela Cruz, Lance Corporal Justin Sharratt and Lance Corporal Stephen Tatum.
Two other Marines involved in the killings that day, Lance Corporal Humberto Mendoza and Corporal Hector Salinas, were not charged. Both eventually were granted immunity in exchange for their testimony.
And the Commander of the entire Battalion, Lieutenant Colonel Jeffrey Chessani, was charged for failing to report the incident and for not thoroughly investigating the events of November 19th. Three officers under Chessani were also charged with offenses related to the aftermath of the incident.
The military court proceedings are under way at Kilo's home base, Camp Pendleton in Southern California. The process began in the Spring of 2007 with preliminary hearings to determine whether any of the Marines would face court-martial.
After more than a year of having their stories played out in the media, the accused Marines told their version of events to an investigating officer. No recordings were allowed in the courtroom, so here, read by actors, are excerpts of the unsworn statements of Wuterich and Tatum.
Staff Sgt. FRANK WUTERICH: [unsworn statement] Saturday, November 19, 2005, started off as a normal day for 1st Squad 3rd Platoon Kilo Company in Haditha, Iraq. Although the mission was something we had conducted and accomplished dozens of times before, today would be extraordinarily different. The day was chilly and the sky was clear. The city was ominously quiet. I changed the normal route of north on River Road and west on Haditha Road. This is one decision I will always regret.
An explosion louder than anything I have ever heard rocked the entire convoy. I remained calm. I continued to drive west as my A driver started to scream, The fourth vehicle got hit! I made my way back to the other side of Chestnut and stopped my Humvee.
NARRATOR: Wuterich's squad called for back-up and began to search for the triggerman.
Staff Sgt. FRANK WUTERICH: [unsworn statement] The first thing I noticed outside my vehicle was a white four-door sedan to the southwest. Corporal Dela Cruz was shouting in broken Arabic and using expletives to the military-aged males who occupied the white car. His weapon was at the ready, as it should have been.
They were not complying, and in fact, were starting to run in the opposite direction. I took a knee in the road and fired. Engaging was the only choice. The threat had to be neutralized.
NARRATOR: Wuterich said he and Corporal Salinas then heard small arms fire from a house nearby, and at the order of a superior who had just arrived on the scene, he took Corporal Salinas, along with Lance Corporal Tatum and Private First Class Mendoza, to clear that house.
Staff Sgt. FRANK WUTERICH: [unsworn statement] I advised the team something like, Shoot first and ask questions later, or, Don't hesitate to shoot. I can't remember my exact words, but I wanted them to understand that hesitation to shoot would only result in the four of us being killed.
NARRATOR: For purposes of the hearing, this house was referred to as House One.
It was the first time Wuterich had ever been under fire. He had never cleared a house in combat. But two of his men were veterans of Fallujah, Lance Corporals Justin Sharratt and Stephen Tatum.
Like Wuterich, Tatum presented his story of what happened that day.
Lance Cpl. STEPHEN TATUM: [unsworn statement] I had been told by my squad leader to treat the house as hostile. Before even entering the house, shots had already been fired. Upon entering the house, I heard an AK-47 racking.
NARRATOR: Tatum said he threw a grenade into the room that he thought the sound was coming from.
Lance Cpl. STEPHEN TATUM: [unsworn statement] Grenade just went off. Dust was in the air. Smoke was in the air. Couldn't really make out much more than targets.
NARRATOR: By the time they cleared the first house, three men, two women and a child were dead.
Next, Wuterich said he heard one of his Marines shout, There's a runner, and he ordered his men to the next house, House 2, the only place he said the runner could have gone.
Staff Sgt. FRANK WUTERICH: [unsworn statement] Again, we used grenades and cleared the rooms by fire.
Lance Cpl. STEPHEN TATUM: [unsworn statement] It was dark. Couldn't really see a whole lot. I never took more than two or three steps in either one of the rooms. The engagements maybe lasted five, six seconds.
NARRATOR: Just seconds, but five more children and two more women were dead.
Wuterich said that while he cleared Houses 1 and 2 alongside his men, he doesn't remember firing his weapon. But he maintained that his team, Tatum and two others, had acted appropriately, despite what happened.
Lance Cpl. STEPHEN TATUM: [unsworn statement] I am not comfortable with the fact that women and children died that day. I know I might have had a part in it. I don't know if my rounds impacted anybody. That is a burden I will have to bear.
NARRATOR: The Marines searched many houses that day. About 10:30 AM, more than three hours after the IED explosion, Sharratt said they went to investigate suspicious activity near this house, later referred to as House 3.
Lance Cpl. JUSTIN SHARRATT: The only thing that were there were women and children, which to us, you know, that was kind of weird. We asked them in Arabic, you know, if they had any weapons, you know, where the-the men at.
NARRATOR: The Marines said they were told the men were in this house, now referred to as House 4.
Lance Cpl. JUSTIN SHARRATT: There was a room in front of me with the door open, and I saw a Iraqi with a AK-47 pointed at me. So I raised up my squad automatic weapon. And when I pulled the trigger, the weapon jammed. So I pulled back and took cover behind a-behind the wall. I pulled out the nine-millimeter pistol that I was carrying at the time. I fired a shot and killed him. And to the left, there were three Iraqi males, and the first one had an AK-47. So I just open fired on all three of those males until I ran out of bullets. Then Staff Sergeant Wuterich came in and finished the job.
[www.pbs.org: More of Sharratt's interview]
NARRATOR: The four men killed by Wuterich and Sharratt were all brothers, members of the Ahmed family.
Sharratt's case was the first to be considered by the investigating officer. He was charged with three counts of unpremeditated murder for the killings in House 4. The central question was whether his actions were appropriate under the Rules of Engagement, the ROE, the conditions under which U.S. forces are allowed to use deadly force.
GARY MYERS, Attorney for Lance Cpl. Sharratt: The rules of engagement have one fundamental underpinning, and that is that every soldier or Marine has the right to self-defense. That's the first and foremost element of the rules of engagement. And every Marine and soldier can tell you that. They have a little card and they can tell you what the card says.
[www.pbs.org: Examine the ROE card]
NARRATOR: Gary Myers, Justin Sharratt's attorney, has been practicing military law since arguing the My Lai case during the Vietnam war. He contended Sharratt's actions were justified under the rules of engagement because Sharratt said he acted in self-defense.
GARY MYERS: He saw an AK-47 being raised at him and he reacted instantly and with precision, as he is trained to do.
NARRATOR: But Iraqi witnesses from House 3 told a very different story, a story of deliberate execution-style killings. The prosecution said the Iraqi witnesses declined to testify in person, but FRONTLINE has obtained some of this testimony-videotaped in Iraq-which the prosecution used to build its case against Sharratt.
The witnesses swore the Marines took everyone out of Houses 3 and 4, forced the men to give up their weapons, separated them from the women and children at gunpoint and led them into House 4. After the Marines left, the witnesses, said they found their male relatives grouped together dead.
KHALID JAMAL AIAD AHMED: [subtitles] My Uncle Marwan, they put him in the closet. When the door was opened, he was seated like this, dead.
NARRATOR: The prosecution declined FRONTLINE's request for an interview, as they have been barred from making statements outside of the courtroom. But at the hearing, they laid out their case against Sharratt-that what the witnesses described was, in fact, a cold-blooded execution, not an active fight, as Sharratt had claimed.
But forensic evidence introduced by the defense cast doubt on the Iraqi witness accounts.
GARY MYERS: The scene of the death of these four men was completely inconsistent with an execution. The location of rounds in the walls and the windows indicated a dynamic situation. These men were moving, and therefore, the notion of execution-style shooting simply evaporated. When you just looked at the forensics of the room, it could not have happened that way.
NARRATOR: Despite the forensic evidence, the prosecution recommended that Sharratt's case proceed to a court-martial.
The next hearings addressed the difficult questions surrounding the shootings earlier in the day, immediately following the IED explosion. Staff Sergeant Wuterich and Sergeant Dela Cruz were charged with murdering the five Iraqi men who exited the white car. They said the men were running away.
NEAL PUCKETT, Attorney for Staff Sgt. Wuterich: Under the rules of engagement that existed on 19 November of 2005, military-age males who are fleeing the scene of an attack, an IED attack, were considered insurgents, or supporters of insurgents, and could be engaged as threats.
NARRATOR: But Iraqi soldiers on the scene had told investigators that the Marines had lined up the men and shot them while they were kneeling. In the hearing, however, the NCIS's own forensics expert dismissed this idea, saying the evidence showed the Iraqi men could not have been lined up in that way.
But by this time, the prosecution had a new weapon. Before the hearings began, Sergeant Dela Cruz changed his story after reaching a deal to testify


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Social media is an amplifier. The little mix-ups and mistakes we all make in life are just part of being human, and usually we do them quietly. But when we fark up online, people are listening. Our mistakes can get a whole lot louder, which is why checking our facts before we share information online is really important. Before you fuss with your spelling and your grammar and before you click Update, Post, or Send, please make sure what you are sharing is valid. Or at the very least include in the comment that you aren't sure. So when you see on Twitter that Jon Bon Jovi is dead, maybe you will pause and think for a minute before you share.
Currently, people are sharing two things about Shell Oil that are hoaxes/parodies. One is the website that is made to look like a crowd-sourced ad-campaign gone wrong for shell:
A hilarious parody, but a parody nonetheless. I was sent this site by no less than 25 people yesterday, and I love them for considering me to be the brand fark-up Sherpa, but every time we share something that isn't true, it can hurt our credibility. (Shell has decided not to sue them, for now.)
Think about it. When you find out you've been conned, you feel stupid and you raise an eyebrow towards the person that originally told you. It hurts trust a little bit. It's not as bad as forwarding the Bill Gates sends you $1 email, but you still want to smack the person with a Snopes tshirt.
Then came along the Twitter account @ShellIsPrepared and most people are taking the bait:
Parody accounts are actually protected on Twitter, if it's an obvious parody. To some this is, but as you can see above, to a lot it isn't. It's not the fault of the people reacting, but the fault of brands behaving so poorly that it's actually believable that one would do this.
So, my fellow social media speakers, take out the screenshots of this from your talks about social media going wrong, unless it's to show how spreading fake events is bad for the people who do the spreading 🙂
Nobody is perfect, but instead of trying to be first to spread something around, try to be the first to confirm it.
+++++The entire Bon Jovi fiasco is a chapter in my new book "The Book of Business Awesome/The Book of Business UnAwesome" including references to at least 5 classic Bon Jovi songs and the book itself is a flip book. Let's see Gladwell do that!

subset: commoncrawl


text: Thought I would drop by and say hello to everyone! I'm Albert, and the publisher and writer of The Rasch Outdoor Chronicles and The Range Reviews: Tactical. With some luck, this might be my year to go to Africa and hunt M'bogo! I hunt wild hog with some regularity, but I've dreamed of Africa since the seventies. My hunting goal is to take a representative cape buffalo for my desk. That and eat biltong until I explode! I'll be in and out of here pretty fair and often. Good Hunting! Regards,


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Kurt Steidl scored 13 of his 16 points in the second half, and Vermont held Hartford to its lowest point total of the season in a 65-46 America East men's basketball win on Saturday at Chase Arena.
Hawks senior forward Mark Nwakamma, the team's leading scorer and rebounder, sustained a right knee injury and played only three minutes. He had no points and two rebounds.
Zach McRoberts added 11 points and Dre Wills and Hector Harold had 10 points each for the Catamounts (12-10, 7-2). Freshman Cam Ward had eight points and a season-high 13 rebounds.
Justin Graham had 10 points to lead the Hawks (11-11, 4-5), who lost their fourth in a row.
After trailing 26-20 at the break, Hartford hit only 6 of 31 shots in the second half, going 2-for-15 on three-pointers.
Wagner 86, Central Connecticut 55: Marcus Burton scored 21 points, and Wagner (8-13, 6-4 NEC) got 33 points from its bench and had a 54-32 rebounding edge in defeating visiting Central (3-20, 1-9).
Senior Faronte Drakeford scored a career-high 26 points for the Blue Devils, who beat Wagner a week earlier in New Britain on a Brandon Peel three-pointer at the buzzer. Matt Mobley added 10 points and three assists. The Blue Devils were 0-for-6 from three, ending a streak of 557 straight games with a made three since having none against Missouri-Kansas City on Feb. 29, 1996.
Yale 65, Cornell 57: Justin Sears had 19 points and Javier Duren added 16 points and 11 rebounds to lead Yale (15-6, 4-0) to the Ivy League win against Cornell (10-10, 2-2) in Ithaca, N.Y.
Armani Cotton grabbed 13 rebounds, helping Yale to a 46-31 edge on the boards. The Bulldogs swept their Columbia-Cornell trip for the first time since 2003.
Mount St. Mary's 77, Sacred Heart 71: Byron Ashe tied his career high with 21 points as Mount St. Mary's (10-11, 6-4) defeated Sacred Heart (9-14, 3-7) in an NEC game in Fairfield.
Leading 41-33 at the half, Mount St. Mary's had a 22-8 run to take a 63-46 lead with 10:40 left. Sacred Heart closed to 69-62 with 2:33 left, but Ashe had a layup and Taylor Danaher and Charles Glover made six straight free throws.
Tevin Falzon had 19 points and 10 rebounds for Sacred Heart.
Plymouth State 65, Eastern Connecticut 57: Jack Preston scored 25 points, and Plymouth State (7-12, 2-7) defeated visiting Eastern (16-4, 8-1) to end the Warriors' streak of 27 Little East regular season victories.
Trachone Preston had 15 points and seven rebounds but 10 turnovers for Eastern, whose last Little East regular season loss was 60-50 to Rhode Island College on Jan. 26, 2013. Freshman Tarchee Brown, Eastern's second-leading scorer, left the game in the opening minutes with an injury.
Trinity 88, Colby 79: Jaquann Starks hit 13 of 14 free throws and scored 25 points to lead Trinity past Colby in Hartford on the day the Bantams honored their 1994-95 Final Four team.
Ed Ogundeko added 13 points, seven rebounds and three blocks for the Bantams (16-5, 7-1 NESCAC), who led by as many as 23. Ryan Jann had 27 points for Colby (11-9, 3-4).
Wesleyan 80, Tufts 71: Trailing by six, Wesleyan scored the first 11 points of the second half and outscored Tufts 50-35 after the break to win in Medford, Mass.
Joe Edmonds hit 12 of 15 free throws and scored 18 points for Wesleyan (14-6, 3-3 NESCAC). Joseph Kuo had 17 points and 13 rebounds, and Jack Mackey scored 16 points. Tom Palleschi had 20 points for Tufts (9-9, 4-2).
Bates 76, Conn College 61: Marcus Delpeche had 19 points and seven rebounds to lead Bates (14-4, 4-2 NESCAC) past Conn College (7-11, 0-6) in Lewiston, Maine. Zuri Pavlin had 14 points and nine rebounds for the Camels.
Central Connecticut 83, Wagner 67: Junior TeJahne Malone had career highs of 22 points and 16 rebounds as Central (12-8, 8-1) defeated Wagner (4-16, 2-7) in New York, taking over first place in the NEC with Bryant's loss to Robert Morris.
Junior Kayla Miller tied her career high with 20 points on 10-of-12 shooting for Central. She had 16 in the first half as the Blue Devils took a 39-26 lead. Amanda Harrington added 14 points and seven rebounds.
Sacred Heart 71, Mount St. Mary's 64 (OT): Adaysha Williams scored five of her 12 points in overtime and Gabrielle Washington finished with 29 points as Sacred Heart (9-9, 4-4 NEC) defeated Mount St. Mary's in Fairfield.
Hannah Kimmel had 13 ppoints and 13 rebounds for the Pioneers. Jenn Carney scored 24 points for Mount St. Mary's (7-13, 5-4).
Eastern Connecticut 78, Plymouth State 49: Jordyn Nappi had 14 points and Jill Ritrosky had 13 points and eight rebounds as Eastern (13-6, 7-2 Little East) defeated Plymouth State (6-12, 0-9) in Plymouth, N.H. The Warriors have won seven of their last eight.
Colby 60, Trinity 42: Carylanne Wolfington hit 5 of 7 threes and scored 19 points as Colby (13-5, 3-3 NESCAC) defeated Trinity (6-12, 1-5) in Waterville, Maine. Mackenzie Griffin had nine points and Sheena Landy seven rebounds for Trinity, which went nearly nine minutes in the first half without a point.
Tufts 77, Wesleyan 53: Freshman Melissa Baptista had 27 points in 20 minutes off the bench to help Tufts (18-1, 6-0 NESCAC) past Wesleyan (8-10, 1-5) in Middletown. Jess Cherenza scored 16 points and Dreisen Heath 12 for Wesleyan.
Coast Guard 72, Wheaton 65: Torie Sutherland had 21 points and Meghan Fornaro 20 as Coast Guard (11-7, 6-4) ended Wheaton's eight-game winning streak with the NEWMAC win in Norton, Mass. Wheaton fell to 13-6, 9-2.
Suffolk 73, St. Joseph 63: Shelby Santini had 19 points to lead Suffolk (7-11, 4-2) past St. Joseph (7-11, 2-2) in a GNAC game in Boston. Heather Framski had 14 points and 12 rebounds and Kayla Guest had 12 points and eight rebounds for the Blue Jays.


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March 22, 2013
Springfield — Attorney General Lisa Madigan today applauded House lawmakers for their unanimous support of legislation to assist victims of human trafficking who have been branded by their offenders. House members voted 108-0 today to send House Bill 2640 to the Senate.
Criminal offenders who engage in human trafficking subject their victims to horrific abuse. Increasingly these offenders have been known to forcefully tattoo their victims so that the tattoo can serve as brand and sign of ownership, and the tattoos can include bar codes or a trafficker's nick name.
The bill, sponsored by Rep. Kelly Burke and crafted in conjunction with Madigan's office, will allow victims of human trafficking who have been branded by their trafficker to be reimbursed for the cost of removing the branding through the Illinois Crime Victims Compensation Fund, which was implemented to help reduce the financial burden imposed on victims of violent crime and their families. This will help victims to have the tattoos removed and recover from the crime.
"This legislation will aid human trafficking victims who are subject to often horrific victimization and involuntary servitude," Madigan said. "Removal of branding is not only a painful experience but a costly one, and it is considered a vital part of a victim's psychological and emotional healing."
The bill will add branding to the list of expenses for which a crime victim may be compensated under the Illinois Crime Victims Compensation Act. It requires the victim seek removal of the branding with an authorized or licensed tattoo remover.
"Victims of human trafficking have endured unimaginable trials, and they cannot truly break free if they still bear the physical reminders of such a painful experience," Rep. Burke said. "Helping to remove the tattoos that were forced on them and literally branded them as property is essential to helping these individuals live with the freedom and dignity they deserve."


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Just won July monthly painting competition organised by Warhammer Community!
Ork Painboy
Grymkin The Child
Hammerhal Heroes
Silver Tower miniatures
Warhammer Quest: Silver Tower – Main Heroes Excelsior Warpriest with Gryph-hound, Knight-Questor, Fyreslayer Doomseeker, Tenebrael Shard, Darkoath Chieftain, Mistweaver Saih Warhammer Quest: Silver Tower – Adversaries Gaunt Summoner and his Familiars Pink Horrors, Blue Horrors, Brimstone Horrors Skaven Deathrunners Tzeenth Arcanites Kairic Acolytes Tzeenth Arcanites Ogroid Thaumaturge and Tzaangors Warhammer Quest: Silver Tower – Exotic […]
Plague Hulk
Sci-fi Flower Knight
Nurgles Warband
Hi, just wanted to show you my nurgles warband, you can find there Nurgle Sorcerer, Nurgle Lord on foot, a couple of Rotten Factory miniatures, Enigma Miniatures Primus Death, and other nurgle themed minis. Maybe in future will be more of them (I hope so). If you know other nurgle guys that fit to band […]
"Gol Gul, Barrow Spider" – pretty cool creation from Mierce Miniatures, inspired to paint with real spider. As you can see there are tiny hairs on his body – it's my wife work. You can see here fake eyebrows (using in cosmetics industry). Also I have added spider cobwebs made of hairsrpay (spider cobwebs tutorial). […]


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From the Publisher
For the past 30 years I have owned an advertising agency that specialized in television advertising for mostly auto dealers. For the past 15 years, I have also owned the magazine you are reading now. In that time, like you, I've seen the automotive industry change and develop. As I
In an article from the August 18 Business Insider, "These are the states that would be wrecked by Trump's proposed tariff on cars," Bob Bryan writes about how the president's proposed 25% tariff on imports would devastate some states' economies. Read the article here. Although these tariffs were on hold
We're almost to the halfway point of 2018. How are you feeling about the marketing plan you have in place for this year? (This assumes you do have one in place.) If you ask 10 automotive marketing professionals, you'll get 10 different answers on what they think you should be
As an auto dealer, you notice dealer advertising more than the average consumer. When you see an ad in the newspaper, online, on television, or hear one on the radio, you probably listen carefully because it is your business. Keep in mind that consumers probably don't pay as much attention.
If you haven't arranged your trip to NADA Show 2018 this year—March 22–25 at the Las Vegas Convention Center—now is the time. This will be a very important year for dealers to take a look at how to run a modern dealership. As you are aware, our industry has been
As more and more sexual harassment complaints surface across the country, it may be time to check the policy in your dealership's employee manual. For a long period of time, the car business was a bit of an "all-man's-land," with only a few women employed at dealerships. Things are changing
OK, full transparency from me: I have a 27-year-old daughter who sells new cars at a dealership. I can't say that she has complained of any unfair situations at the dealership she works for. However, since I have been working with car dealers for about 40 years, I have seen
I am not an economist, but tell me if you think this is a problem. Right now, we have an overabundance of vehicle inventory in the U.S. Car sales are slated to decrease after years of constantly increasing sales numbers. At the same time, due to the high prices on
Photo: Celebrity spokesperson/Seattle Seahawk Michael Bennett for Larson Automotive in Tacoma, Washington In our increasingly digital world, it's easy to overlook some of the most effective advertising vehicles for selling cars. Despite the increasing use of pay-per-click, banner advertising, social media, and video ads on the internet, plain old television


text: This Light Siam Feather Earrings & Dangling Suede Cross White/Blue Beads is trendsetting jewelry, Exotic Style! The entire Light Siam Feather Earrings feature brown suede leather dangling with white/blue beads for a fabulously chic look. This light siam feather costume earrings covering the pattern with feathers style, bring a person luxuriant visual experience, let a person get drunk unceasingly.


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Arts in the Middle
May 30 - 31, 2015
A Juried Fine Arts Festival
Hewick Plantation ~ Urbanna
Virginia's Middle Peninsula
On the grounds of a stately 17th Century Plantation Arts in the Middle offers a day of entertainment in the country with fine arts and crafts, music and local foods a stroll away from the river country's most charming waterfront village.
For more information visit: www.urbanna.com, www.co.middlesex.va.us, and www.hewickplantation.com.
Saturday 10 am - 5 pm Arts in the Middle Festival hours
6 pm - 8 pm Awards Ceremony, Food, Spirits and Blues - Lansdowne, Urbanna
Sunday 10 am - 4 pm Arts in the Middle Festival hours


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Health legislation might bar some from public insurance
WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama and leading Democrats have stressed that people who like their employer-sponsored insurance would be able to keep it under a health care overhaul. They haven't emphasized the flip side, however: that people who don't like their coverage might have to keep it.
Under the main Democratic health bills that are being debated in Congress, many people with job-based insurance could find it difficult to impossible to switch to health plans on a new insurance exchange, even if those plans were cheaper or offered better coverage. The restrictions would extend to any government-run plan.
The provisions could change, and there are a few exceptions: Workers would be allowed to buy insurance through the exchange if their job-based coverage gobbled up too much of their incomes or was too skimpy. Also, under the proposal by Democrats in the House of Representatives, people could get insurance through the exchange if they paid their entire premiums, a cost that would be prohibitive for many.
Democratic lawmakers and administration officials say the restrictions are crucial to maintaining a strong employer-based insurance system, which covers 158 million Americans.
Critics argue, however, that the rules run counter to suggestions that a health care overhaul could provide people with a broader choice of insurance options. The restrictions, they say, could be especially unfair to some lower-income workers who are enrolled in costly job-based insurance. Also, they warn that the rules could hurt the proposed public plan by limiting enrollment.
Jonathan Oberlander, an associate professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, said, "The rhetoric is that Americans will gain new alternatives, but the reality is that they are putting up firewalls that are going to restrict the access of people with employer-sponsored insurance to the exchange."
One result, he said, is that any public plan would be substantially smaller and less powerful than many backers are envisioning.
James Capretta, a fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center, a conservative research center in Washington, said that the government was "essentially telling people you have to take your employer-based plan. . . . I think that's a huge issue."
Most individuals would have to carry insurance or pay fines under the congressional proposals.
Much of the debate is driven by cost. Under the proposals before Congress, people who could go on the exchange include the uninsured, the self-employed and those who aren't offered employer-sponsored coverage. Small businesses also would be allowed to use the exchange.
Most individuals who use the exchange would get government subsidies. Limiting the number of people who could use the exchange, therefore, would hold down the cost.
At a "town hall" meeting on health care July 1, Obama said that any overhaul must "fix what's broken about the system, and that means permanently bringing down costs and giving more choice for everyone."
The exchange, he said, would benefit small businesses and the self-employed, as well as workers at firms that don't provide coverage.
Linda Douglass, the communications director of the White House Office of Health Reform, said that the president "believes that health reform must be built upon our current employer-based system" and the exchange "is there to provide security and affordable options to Americans who don't have those options now."
To prod employers to continue to offer coverage, the bills would require most of them to provide insurance to workers or pay penalties. Employers also would have to meet minimum coverage standards and help workers buy insurance.
As a result, job-based coverage is most likely to be the least expensive option for many people, especially those who don't qualify for government subsidies.
However, those who might get better deals on the exchange would have trouble transferring if they already have employer-sponsored insurance. Under one leading Senate bill, individuals who are offered employer-sponsored coverage could switch to the exchange only if their shares of the premiums exceeded 12.5 percent of their incomes or their plans didn't meet minimum coverage standards.
Under the House Democrats' legislation, workers who are eligible for job-based insurance could go on the exchange only if their costs were more than 11 percent of their incomes.
People who were willing to pay their entire premiums, without subsidies, also could enroll through the exchange under the House bill.
Lawmakers and some health care analysts say that legislation has to create barriers around the exchange to protect the stability of the employer-provided insurance market. Without them, younger and healthier employees, they say, might find cheaper options on the exchange, leaving older and sicker workers in their employers' plans — and driving up their costs.
"We are trying to provide as much choice as possible and trying to honor the president's promise to protect the employer-based system so that if people have coverage they like they'll get to keep it," said Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., a member of the health committee.
Jacob Hacker, a Yale University professor of political science, said the debate reflected "a delicate dance" in which lawmakers were trying to give some people access to the exchange while preserving the employer-based insurance system.
"To my mind," he added, the House bill "errs too far on the side of making it hard for workers to obtain coverage through the exchange."
Richard Curtis, the president of the Institute for Health Policy Solutions, a nonprofit research group, said that some lower-income workers with employer-sponsored coverage could wind up paying bigger chunks of their incomes for coverage than those with the same incomes who weren't offered job-based insurance. The reason: The latter group would be able to get subsidized coverage through the exchange.
That sends an unfortunate signal, he said, to people who are struggling to pay for employer-sponsored insurance. "So the message to them is, 'Congratulations . . . so now you get to continue paying several times as much as your next-door neighbor who has access to highly subsidized coverage in the exchange,' " he said. "On its face, it's just not fair."
(Jaclyn Schiff of Kaiser Health News contributed to this story.)
(Kaiser Health News, an editorially independent news service, is a program of the Kaiser Family Foundation, a nonpartisan health care policy-research organization that isn't affiliated with Kaiser Permanente.)
Coverage of the nation's health-care debate
Health care ad audit: 'Health Reform Testimonials'
Obama campaign vow of public debate on health care fading
It's hard to say how much health care overhaul might cost
For more McClatchy politics coverage visit Planet Washington


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Evidence has come to light today that women are being discriminated against by banks.
The report, entitled 'Women and Banks: Are Female Customers Facing Discrimination?', by Noreena Hertz, looks at several cases where banks have discriminated against pregnant women and those on maternity leave. It also looks into the different treatment of male and female entrepreneurs when applying for venture financing loans.
One bank manager told a mortgage applicant: women "get all indecisive about whether they're going back to work" after child having children, according to Helen Rumbelow's excellent article in The Times today.
In itself this comment in incredibly sexist, reminiscent of the 19th Century when women were frequently diagnosed with hysteria. Perhaps even more shocking is that the bank manager who made that comment is a woman.
I find it absolutely appalling that banks may be discriminating against women in this day and age. I am also surprised to find that the Financial Ombudsman supports the banks in this action, who said that was a "legitimate commercial judgement".
Not only is denying an individual access to funds based on their gender ethically wrong, it is also completely illegal both in the UK and in Europe. These legal protections are the products of many years of progress through laws such as the Equality Act and pages of legal case work.
The sexist discrimination in the financial services industry does not stop here though. The report also highlights that women-owned firms are charged higher interest rates on their loans than comparative firms owned by men.
I struggle to see how women-owned businesses present a greater risk to financiers than their male counterparts. In fact several studies have shown that women owned businesses have a better credit rating overall.
It appears that the whole culture of this industry is geared against women succeeding in business. A study undertaken by the Labour Government in 2004 found women owned businesses were "more likely to face discouragement when applying for external finance".
Such barriers to women becoming home owners, or their full participation as entrepreneurs are particularly disheartening at a time when they are being hit the hardest by Tory cuts and are looking for new ways to support themselves. This is a serious issue that needs to be dealt with in the most robust way possible. I only hope that this government, supposedly pro-business and home-ownership, will do everything it can to address this staggering inequality.


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[ yale in new york ]
2009–2010 Season
The Classical Legacy of Benny Goodman
September 26, 2009
Zankel Hall at Carnegie Hall
Bartók: Contrasts; Poulenc: Clarinet Sonata; Morton Gould: Benny's Gig; Alan Shulman: Rendezvous for clarinet and string quartet; Copland: Clarinet Concerto.
Prokofiev Rediscovered: Premieres and Rarities
February 9, 2010
Zankel Hall at Carnegie Hall
Fragment from the opera Distant Seas (world premiere); Music for Athletic Exercises (New York premiere) with original choreography by NYCB's Adam Hendrickson; music for the ballet Trapeze (New York premiere); and the seldom-performed Schubert waltzes transcribed by Prokofiev for two pianos
Voices of American Music
April 8, 2010
Zankel Hall at Carnegie Hall
A tribute to the Oral History of American Music project on the 40th anniversary of its founding by Vivian Perlis
Penderecki Conducts Penderecki
April 30, 2010
Stern Auditorium at Carnegie Hall
Krzysztof Penderecki leads the Yale Philharmonia. With Syoko Aki, violin, and William Purvis, horn.
Threnody for the Victims of Hiroshima (1960); Capriccio for Violin and Orchestra (1967) with Syoko Aki, violin; Concerto for Horn and Orchestra, "Winterreise" (2008), with William Purvis, horn; and Symphony No. 4, "Adagio" (1989).


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Here at The Wedding Experts, we're a big fan of the letter C.
Which means we love:
And Community.
Because what fun is it if you've got no one to share the highs, the lows and the 'hahas' with?
TWE is our online wedding business community filled with inspiring women, bold entrepreneurs, mamapreneurs, solopreneurs (and all the 'preneurs') who want to build their dream business with purpose, passion, profit and a whole lot of heart.
TWE is the genuine support that this industry lacks. The tribe you need to help give your business that sparkle and fizz.
It's a kickass community of creative, hard-working, trustworthy and passionate people who've got your back.
It's your fun but wise wedding family when you don't know where to turn (kinda like that crazy aunt at Christmas but with way more online smarts).
It's your gorgeous wedding crew who you can rely on for a chat and a vent. A place where you high five each other whenever you like.
I'd be over the moon, boot scootin' happy if you joined our community. What are you waiting for?
I have appreciated being a part of Jennie's community because it has also connected me with other industry professionals who I have been able to collaborate with and I would not have met otherwise. This has been invaluable in the start-up phase of my business.
Sally – AMONIE RING BOXES
I was thankful to have a strategy session with Jennie where she helped work through some of my muddled thoughts in regards to the planning of my business and encourage me in areas where I wasn't sure if I was doing well. I have appreciated having someone else to go to other than my husband and close friends when I really needed some advice from someone who is experienced in this field.
Sally – AMONIE RING BOXES
Jennie has an unbelievable wealth of knowledge about the wedding industry. She truly is a wedding expert and provides her clients with a deeper understanding of the industry. She is gentle and guiding, and her friendly, warm approach to coaching means you look forward to every session - and you actually want to do your homework!
Kimberley – THE MARMALADE SKY
Not only have I seen my enquiries almost triple, but I have managed to get on top of (and stay on top!) of the nitty gritty running of my business, streamlining processes, building a marketing strategy and a whole new rebrand, in only three months!
Kimberley – THE MARMALADE SKY
The business broke even on income versus expenses for the third month into trading. Having Jennie guide and share her knowledge through the early months has been priceless. The knowledge sharing has also meant that mistakes have been avoided or mitigated. I know that I have a tough road ahead, but with Jennie's coaching I have a clearer picture of the business' values and direction. Every morning, I wake up with a smile on my face and Jennie has helped me to feel this way.
Catherine – FLOWERS AT HABERFIELD
Being a solo business owner fairly new to the wedding industry, I was grateful to find Jennie who has been a supporter, encourager and someone who completely 'gets' what I do. I have the utmost respect for Jennie because she has gone before and achieved success in the wedding industry - I'm not talking to a general business coach who is just going to spurt out marketing/salesy ideas that really won't work with my ideal clients. She is also so well connected and a real community grower. She is authentic, approachable, a pleasure to deal with and professional.
Sally – AMONIE RING BOXES
I've spoken with many friends and family about their coaching experiences, and everyone single one of them felt like they were being coached by someone who really didn't really understand what it was they did every day for work. Their coaches understand business, but not the industry. Jennie has been there, she knows what it's like in the wedding industry and how to run a successful business. This knowledge is so helpful and vital to our coaching sessions together.
Kimberley – THE MARMALADE SKY
Jennie's coaching is similar to having a "real life" partner in the business. Her down to earth nature, honesty, laughter and the ability to openly share real life floristry experiences and contacts. Jennie doesn't hold anything back, the future business success is her success as well.
Catherine – FLOWERS AT HABERFIELD


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After suffering from OCD and generalized anxiety disorder for years, plus panic disorder for just about a full year now, I thought I would share some tips and tricks that I have that work the best for me! Hopefully they may help you as well.
- I use an app called CalmKeeper on my iPhone, which has an orb that expands and deflates. Whenever it expands you breath in, and when it deflates you breath out. This is basically resetting your breathing to a normal pace and helps you avoid hyperventilation. Of course you do not need an app to do this, you basically breath in for 3 seconds, hold it for a couple of seconds, and then breathe out for 3 seconds, then repeat until you calm down. This is the one technique that has NEVER FAILED. I do this immediately at the 1st sign of an anxiety/panic attack.
- Distractions
- If possible, do things that may distract you. I like to use my phone and play my favorite games like Color Switch and Candy Crush. You can also listen to music, read, etc. The CalmKeeper app that I use also has games and mind exercises to distract and help you as well! NOTE: I AM NOT SPONSORED BY CALMKEEPER! I just love their app that much.
- Acceptance
- If there is no way to distract yourself or take yourself away from the situation, sometimes you just have to freely accept it. Part of the reason a panic attack persists, is that you try to resist it or to fight it, which is exactly what it wants to do since. Hence, if you try to keep fighting it or just keep running away, you are feeding into the panic more. There is a quote that says, "Whatever you resist, persists." This is completely true with panic/anxiety attacks. If you just let yourself realize what is happening and know that nothing is going to hurt you, it will eventually subside since you are not giving in to your fight or flight response. This of course takes some practice, but once mastered, is always very helpful!
I hope you enjoyed reading my tips, and hopefully find them helpful! If you have any questions, or just want to give some feedback or other tips so we can all help each other out, feel free to leave a comment below!
Thank you for reading!


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Caracas was the most dangerous capital city in the world last year, study says
Caracas, Venezuela, was the most dangerous capital city in the world in 2017, according to a new study that underscores how Latin America remains one of the bloodiest swaths of the planet.
According to Mexico's Citizens Council for Public Safety and Criminal Justice, 43 of the world's 50 most violent cities were in Latin America and the Caribbean, with Brazil, Mexico and Venezuela leading the list.
Los Cabos, Mexico, topped the annual ranking with a murder rate of 111.3 per 100,000 residents. But Caracas — just one of five capital cities on the list — was in a close second place with 111.2 murders per 100,000 residents.
The 10th annual ranking was released this week and measures murder rates in cities with more than 300,000 people.
Read More: How Medellin went from murder capital to retiree haven
The report's authors said Venezuela's murder rate had become increasingly difficult to determine. The government does not release official data and local media hadn't been providing full reports, the study found, making it a nation that has become "incapable of counting its dead."
In addition, the mass exodus from Venezuela means that population estimates are no longer accurate, so murder rates are likely higher than reported, the study found.
Read More: In data-dark Venezuela facts are in short supply
The authors said they determined the Caracas figures by extrapolating from information gathered at the morgue. According to their calculations, the city had an estimated 3,387 murders in 2017.
Due to the difficulty in calculating the figures, the authors said they removed two Venezuelan cities from their annual list — Cumaná and Gran Barcelona — not because there was an improvement but simply because there was not enough data.
The study confirms, once again, that the Western Hemisphere remains the deadliest part of the world, even though there are no outright wars here.
The report found that Brazil had 17 of the most violent cities followed by Mexico with 12, Venezuela with five, the United States with four, Colombia and South Africa with three, and Honduras with two.
El Salvador, Guatemala, Puerto Rico and Jamaica each had one city on the list.
Among the U.S. cities in the ranking were St. Louis, with 65 homicides per 100,000 residents, followed by Baltimore, New Orleans and Detroit.
Follow me on Twitter @jimwyss


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I am wondering what type of queue is MySQL Query Cache using.
When there is new query and cache is full which query is deleted? Oldest one? One with fewer number of hits? Or maybe there is some different logic behind that?
I tried to find something in documentation, but without success.


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The Tottenham striker was held for several hours at a police station in Harlow, Essex, at the end of last month. Essex Police said they had already apologised for their mistake, which they blamed on a computer inputting error.
The 26-year-old striker, who scored twice for England against Holland on Wednesday, said he would donate any damages awarded to charity.
His solicitor, Nick Freeman, known as Mr Loophole owing to his success in getting cases against drivers dropped, said: ''The claim arises out of Mr Defoe's wrongful arrest for driving whilst disqualified last month.
''At the time the police were advised by Mr Defoe, and on no less than five occasions by my office, that Mr Defoe was not disqualified and that his detention was unlawful.
''Notwithstanding this, he remained incarcerated in a police cell for approximately five hours until Chelmsford Magistrates' Court confirmed our assertion that he was not disqualified.
''The problem arose as the consequence of an inputting error by Essex Police, which they have admitted and apologised for.
"This was compounded by their failure to accept our protestations that he was not disqualified. The police should have bailed Mr Defoe when they were put on notice of their error to enable them to pursue their inquiries.
''Instead, in addition to being locked in a cell, the police were unable to recall where his car had been impounded and were not prepared to return his car keys (which also contained house keys) until he produced documentation to his vehicle.
''This claim is about principle and not about money. Any damages my client is awarded will be donated to charity.''
An Essex Police spokesman said: ''We've formally apologised, acknowledging our mistake, which was due to an inputting error.
''An internal investigation is under way to determine why this error occurred and to ensure that a similar mistake is not repeated in the future.''
Asked about the force being sued for damages, he said: ''Essex Police is conducting an internal investigation and liaising with Mr Defoe's legal team to ascertain the details of the claim. It would be inappropriate to comment any further at this time.''
Defoe, of Cuffley, Hertfordshire, was convicted of speeding earlier in July by a district judge sitting in Chelmsford, Essex.
He was disqualified from driving but the disqualification was suspended pending an appeal - Defoe denied any offence.
District Judge David Cooper passed sentence after magistrates heard Defoe broke a 50mph speed limit in a Land Rover on the M11 in Chigwell, Essex, in April and June 2008.
Defoe was disqualified for six months and ordered to pay £600 costs.
The judge also fined Defoe £1,500 for failing to inform the authorities who was driving - and added 12 penalty points to the footballer's licence.
Defoe's legal team said the player would appeal and argue that police paperwork was invalid because it had been handled by an unauthorised person.
At the beginning of the month Defoe was fined £500 and given penalty points at St Albans Magistrates' Court for a speeding offence.
He was caught by a speed camera driving a Ferrari at 45mph in a 30mph limit in Hertfordshire last year.


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How do I Create a new Staff Group?
Staff groups can be created to make filtering staff members easier. These can also be used when setting holiday limits or assigning additional holiday approvers to staff.
Navigate to your staff directory.
Select the members of staff you would like to add to the new group by ticking the box to the left of their profile picture. If you want to add all staff to the group, tick select staff to add them to a group.
Type a name for the group in the box that appears and click on add to a group.
Once you have done this, you will notice a notification appear centrally at the top of your screen confirming that the staff members have been added to the new group.
NB: Staff can be added to more than one group.


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Five layer dip (with garlic white bean hummus)
OMG, it's almost time for the big game! it's no big surprise that i get the most excited over planning the food we'll eat. that's also because the team I grew up rooting for (jets, yeah I know) haven't actually been in the big game during my lifetime.
there's always next season!
so just in case you're like me, you'll need to have a few recipes up your sleeve. start off the evening with a fresh five layer dip.
this isn't your typical heavy, stuffed layer dip. this one features guacamole + homemade garlic white bean hummus. then you add tomatoes, cheese + chopped green onions. it's silly easy, but won't make you regret digging in for more.
what's that, you need more recipes for a fancy super bowl party? here's some others you'll want to keep on hand for the big game:
Five layer dip with garlic white bean hummus
for the garlic bean hummus //
- 6-7 whole garlic cloves
- 2-3 sprigs fresh thyme
- dash of olive oil and salt
- 1 15.5 oz. can of white beans, rinsed
for assembling //
- guacamole (store bought is a-ok)
- 3 small tomatoes, chopped
- shredded cheese (monterey jack or even a mild cheddar is great)
- 2 green onions, thinly sliced
- first preheat your oven to 400 degrees fahrenheit.
- now you get to roast the garlic. create a foil pocket, wrapping up the garlic cloves + thyme in the foil. you'll want to add some olive oil + salt to this packet before popping it in the oven for ~40 minutes until soft.
- once roasted, remove the thyme sprigs from the foil. whiz up everything in the packet with the white beans in a food processor. hey, you made garlic white bean hummus! taste for seasoning, you might want to add some sriracha sauce if you like spicy spreads.
- to assemble the dip, create layers of each ingredient repeating until you reach the top of your serving bowl. you might want to start with a layer of the hummus, then some guacamole + finish off the layer with the tomatoes, shredded cheese + green onions. keep repeating + then serve this with some blue corn chips or veggies for dipping.


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Credit cards do have advantages; they can come in handy for emergencies, paying for items online and making large purchases. However, using credit cards can turn into a bad habit that results in credit card debt and financial distress. It's possible to learn how to survive with 1 credit card, but it requires some lifestyle changes. To be able to live on cash rather than credit, you may need to plan in advance, save money and make extra income.
1Use cash for basic purchases. Instead of charging gas and other daily expenses on credit cards, pay with cash. That doesn't mean you have to carry large sums of cash around; you could use a debit card. However, withdrawing cash and spending only that amount can help with budgeting and avoiding over-spending.
2Start saving money with a goal in mind. Many people rely on credit or credit cards for large purchases. They also consider them an emergency fund. While credit cards are helpful for these types of purchases, it's possible to replace them with saved cash instead. Use savings first to build an emergency fund, and then use your savings to put towards large purchases like appliances and even cars or homes.
3Get extra income. It's hard to live without credit when you are not making enough to survive and save. Find a second job or passive income source. There are many work from home jobs or small businesses that allow you to earn money without investing a lot of time or money. Use your skills to make extra cash. Sell things you don't need or use anymore.
4Give your spending habits a makeover. Stick to a budget. Save money by cutting back on unnecessary purchases. This will not only break the habit of credit card use, but will give you more cash to save toward emergencies and large purchases.
5Choose your credit card wisely. Make sure the card you keep, or get, works for your needs. If it's to be used for convenience in purchasing only, make sure you pay it off every month. A card for emergencies or large purchases should have a low interest rate. The same is true for a card you are using to consolidate debt. Some cards offer rewards like points for gift cards or travel. This could be a good choice, but you'll need to plan purchases carefully and not keep a balance since they usually charge higher interest rates.
6Talk to a financial adviser about how to survive with 1 credit card. It's usually best to eliminate credit card debt but keep credit accounts open, since closing accounts can negatively affect your credit. However, an accountant or adviser can look over your finances and credit history and come up with the best solution.
7Plan carefully when phasing out credit cards. Pay off the ones with smaller balances first, and then use the savings to pay off the next card. When possible, move balances to cards with lower interest rates. Hold off on new credit purchases until balances are manageable.
8Sign up for PayPal. PayPal links right to your bank account and can be used to make purchases online. It eliminates the need for having a credit card just to buy from the Internet.
9Allow extra time for purchasing. Credit cards come in handy when you want to travel or make large purchases. These things can still be done with cash--it's just more of a hassle. Plan in advance, and allow time for sending cash deposits or wiring money as an alternative to reserving or paying with a credit card.Advertisement
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Friday, April 13, 2012
My Pregnancy Journal Week 22
At 11 inches (the length of a spaghetti squash) and almost 1 pound, your baby is starting to look like a miniature newborn. His lips, eyelids, and eyebrows are becoming more distinct, and he's even developing tiny tooth buds beneath his gums. His eyes have formed, but his irises (the colored part of the eye) still lack pigment.
If you could see inside your womb, you'd be able to spot the fine hair (lanugo) that covers his body and the deep wrinkles on his skin, which he'll sport until he adds a padding of fat to fill them in. Inside his belly, his pancreas — essential for the production of some important hormones — is developing steadily. From BabyCenter
Random Thoughts: I'm loving the feel of baby boy moving around. John and I have been discussing names lately. I have a name I like and he doesn't hate. But John just came up with a name the other day and I don't hate it. So we have 2 names and each of us like ours a little more than the other. John asked Jayden today which name he likes and I think he was a little disappointed that he likes my name more. Either name would be good. I don't want to say what they are yet because I know all to well how names get changed. Jayden was originally an Ethan up until about 8 months along. I am feeling less worried about the name now that we have a few options. At first the whole name thing stressed me. I had a girl name all ready to go, but a boy name was tough.
Symptoms/Medical: I have been feeling very fat lately. My tummy feels really tight every evening and sometimes during the day. It gets really uncomfortable, but then goes away. I think it is possibly Braxton Hicks, but not sure. I have also had some back pain. No real problems or concerns. Oh, and of course lots of sleepiness.
Weight Gain: I'm up another 1 so now at 21 overall.
Cravings: Same.. Lemonade and spicy food, Mexican and chips and salsa, bean and cheese burritos. this baby is consistent..
Food Aversions: Still nothing
What made me cry this week: OMG! I opened the cabinet to get a pan and a bunch of stuff fell out. The bottom plate for my big George Foreman Grill fell out and the handle broke. I was so upset, I started to cry. Hubby had put the dishes away and put this in the wrong place. I didn't know what to do but cry. Hubby immediately got on the Internet to see if he could buy it. Jayden just stared at me. He doesn't know what to do when I cry. I had to reassure him that I am alright.
Thoughts from Jayden: Not too much this week. There were mentions about the baby and when I say baby brother he immediately looks at me funny. Often he says no mama baby sister. He is torn between wanting a girl and knowing its a boy.
Something I am excited about: Hubby got the job I talked about last week. So I am excited and sad all at once. He is leaving in less then 2 weeks and will be gone around 3-4 weeks.
In case you missed it you can read My Pregnancy Journal Week 21
1 comment:
Arizona Mama,ReplyDelete
The choice of a name is stressing you out? That might be just hormones, try making a game of it. That 'popping sensation' of feeling the first movements is hitting me hard. I think my baby is addicted to kettle korn and makes a HUGE batch every night. So, possible name is 'Ketlin'
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Red Cross International Humanitarian Law Moot
MPL 6 Homepage (2014-15)
Information on 54 moots
MPL 6 season standings TBC
MPL 6 rulebook
MPL 5, Fifth Season
MPL 1, First Season
The 9th Red Cross International Humanitarian Law Moot, 2011 is being organised under the auspices of an Organizing Committee, comprising representatives from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the Hong Kong Red Cross (HKRC) with objectives to
- Raise awareness of international humanitarian issues among law students
- Enhance knowledge and application of international humanitarian law (IHL) rather than black letter law
- Promote the spirit of humanity among law students in the Asia-Pacific region
- Know more about the role and works of the Red Cross/Red Crescent Movement
- Hong Kong Red Cross (HKRC
- International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)
Collaborating Universities[edit]
- Faculty of Law, The University of Hong Kong
- School of Law, City University of Hong Kong
- Faculty of Law, The Chinese University of Hong Kong<ref>http://www.redcross.org.hk/web/moot9/Moot2011_OC.pdf</ref>
Dates of moot in 2010-11[edit]
3rd - 5th March, 2011
Moot problem in 2010-11[edit]
The forum is a brighter place takhns to your posts. Thanks!
Previous winners[edit]
- 2010: Faculty of Law, The University of Hong Kong<ref>http://www.redcross.org.hk/web/moot8/8th%20IHL%20Moot_list%20of%20recipient_100323.pdf</ref>
- 2009: University Indonesia<ref>http://www.redcross.org.hk/web/moot7/7th%20IHL%20Moot%20-%20List%20of%20Award%20Recipient.pdf</ref>
- 2008: National University of Singapore<ref>http://www.redcross.org.hk/web/moot6/Result.htm</ref>
- 2007: University of Sydney<ref>http://www.redcross.org.hk/web/moot5/IHL%20Moot-list%20of%20recipient.pdf</ref>
- 2006: University of Sydney<ref>http://www.redcross.org.hk/web/moot5/IHL%20Moot-list%20of%20recipient.pdf</ref>
Could I have , please? where can i get nolvadex in the uk "The move in rates has caused a few issuers to look at theenvironment and question whether or not they should wait to cometo the bond markets, or risk missing out on what is still anaccretive (corporate financing) opportunity," said DanishAgboatwala, a credit analyst at Barclays.


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DeliverySlip is used in virtually every industry by 10,000+ organizations and 5 million+ users. Ensure compliance with jurisdiction-specific data privacy and protection rules while securing sensitive company and customer data.
DeliverySlip simplifies your communication and makes it safe and works right inside Office 365, Gmail, and Outlook.
DeliverySlip is used to:
DeliverySlip Secure Messaging protects your business communications with complete message encryption, secure large file sharing, legally-binding e-signatures, and bulk send e-campaigns right in 365 using existing addresses. Plus, its advanced controls let you track, manage, and prove everything. Ideal for regulated organizations, DeliverySlip Secure Messaging is the new way to do business.


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When I started Fulling Management & Accounting in 2000, we were able to find a great office location. It was close to the gym, easy access to I-35, and most important to a new business owner, the rent was very inexpensive. Over 13 years, that initial office space provided flexibility for our company to develop our niche, reputation and business focus.
In late 2012 I began the process of developing a new vision statement for Fulling Management & Accounting. The process included defining better the services we would provide, how we would provide those, and the type of clients we would serve.
Our new vision statement became:
We are the accounting & business management solution for innovative small business leaders seeking growth through accountability, Christian stewardship, and proven business practices.
As our team began to buy into the new vision, it was easy to see that our facility and location did not communicate the vision that we were attempting to create. Over the past 4-5 years several of the neighboring businesses around our space had closed creating a number of empty or abandoned buildings.
We spent over 6 months looking at alternative space that would better fit our needs and vision. Many of the buildings and locations met some of our criteria but if we were going to make the move we did not want to settle short of our goal.
In December 2013, we had the opportunity to look at space in the Kansas Bioscience Park in northwest Olathe. Wow! The first impression in seeing the building was "innovative". That had been the missing link in the other facilities we had looked at.
The facility serves as an incubator for new bioscience companies, which aligns well with our current client demographics. We officially moved in February 1, 2014. You can see our new facility at: http://www.kansasbioauthority.org/incubator-space/
Our new vision statement not only provided direction as to making the move but also guided us into a new location that better communicates the vision of Fulling Management & Accounting.
We look forward to giving you a tour soon!


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Monthly Management Tips
- Learn from experts every month for free
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- Easy to read and you can cancel anytime
Lean Six Sigma Training Certification
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The practical application of QbD within the pharmaceutical space is a classic application of Design for Six Sigma principles and tools. The overall framework and tools used within QbD, e.g., risk-based quality management, statistical design of experiments (DoE), robust process design, and real-time process control through process analytical technology (PAT) as applied for pharmaceutical QbD efforts are areas of significant expertise for our instructors. The instructors will provide insight, instruction and application guidance for the QbD process and the tools required for its successful execution. Furthermore, they will also provide relevant insights and experiences they have gained through years of real-world QbD situations, as well as providing helpful context regard the current QbD landscape as it relates to current industry practices and regulatory agency interactions.