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Facts & Figures
President: Muhammadu Buhari (2015)
Land area: 351,649 sq mi (910,771 sq km); total area: 356,667 sq mi (923,768 sq km)
Population (2014 est.): 177,155,754 (growth rate: 2.47%); birth rate: 38.03/1000; infant mortality rate: 74.09/1000; life expectancy: 52.62
Capital (2011 est.): Abuja, 2.153 million
Largest cities: Lagos (2011 est.), 11.223 million; Kano, 3.375 million; Ibadan, 2.949; Port Harcourt 1.894 million; Kaduna, 1.524 million
Monetary unit: Naira
- Nigeria Main Page
- Independent Nigeria Faces Ethnic Conflicts
- Military Coups Shift Power
- West African Superpower
- Religion and Fighting Threaten Nigeria's Stability
- Corruption and Violence Taint Democratic Elections
- President Relents on Ending Oil Subsidies
- Government Cracks Down on Islamist Militants in the North
- Ban on Same-Sex Marriages Sparks Homophobic Violence
- Boko Haram Massacres Hundreds of Civilians
- President Jonathan Ousted at the Ballot Box
Nigeria, one-third larger than Texas and the most populous country in Africa, is situated on the Gulf of Guinea in West Africa. Its neighbors are Benin, Niger, Cameroon, and Chad. The lower course of the Niger River flows south through the western part of the country into the Gulf of Guinea. Swamps and mangrove forests border the southern coast; inland are hardwood forests.
Multiparty government transitioning from military to civilian rule.
The first inhabitants of what is now Nigeria were thought to have been the Nok people (500 BC–c. AD 200). The Kanuri, Hausa, and Fulani peoples subsequently migrated there. Islam was introduced in the 13th century, and the empire of Kanem controlled the area from the end of the 11th century to the 14th.
The Fulani empire ruled the region from the beginning of the 19th century until the British annexed Lagos in 1851 and seized control of the rest of the region by 1886. It formally became the Colony and Protectorate of Nigeria in 1914. During World War I, native troops of the West African frontier force joined with French forces to defeat the German garrison in Cameroon.
Independent Nigeria Faces Ethnic Conflicts
On Oct. 1, 1960, Nigeria gained independence, becoming a member of the Commonwealth of Nations and joining the United Nations. Organized as a loose federation of self-governing states, the independent nation faced the overwhelming task of unifying a country with 250 ethnic and linguistic groups.
Rioting broke out in 1966, and military leaders, primarily of Ibo ethnicity, seized control. In July, a second military coup put Col. Yakubu Gowon in power, a choice unacceptable to the Ibos. Also in that year, the Muslim Hausas in the north massacred the predominantly Christian Ibos in the east, many of whom had been driven from the north. Thousands of Ibos took refuge in the eastern region, which declared its independence as the Republic of Biafra on May 30, 1967. Civil war broke out. In Jan. 1970, after 31 months of civil war, Biafra surrendered to the federal government.
Military Coups Shift Power
Gowon's nine-year rule was ended in 1975 in a bloodless coup that made Army Brig. Muritala Rufai Mohammed the new chief of state. The return of civilian leadership was established with the election of Alhaji Shehu Shagari as president in 1979. An oil boom in the 1970s buoyed the economy and by the 1980s, Nigeria was considered an exemplar of African democracy and economic well-being.
The military again seized power in 1984, only to be followed by another military coup the following year. Maj. Gen. Ibrahim Babangida announced that the country would be returned to civilian rule, but after the presidential election of June 12, 1993, he voided the results. Nevertheless, Babangida did resign as president in August. In November the military, headed by defense minister Sani Abacha, seized power again.
Corruption and notorious governmental inefficiency as well as a harshly repressive military regime characterized Abacha's reign over this oil-rich country, turning it into an international pariah. A UN fact-finding mission in 1996 reported that Nigeria's "problems of human rights are terrible and the political problems are terrifying." During the 1970s, Nigeria had the 33rd highest per capita income in the world, but by 1997 it had dropped to the 13th poorest. The hanging of writer Ken Saro-Wiwa in 1995 because he protested against the government was condemned around the world.
West African Superpower
As leader of the multination peacekeeping force ECOMOG, Nigeria established itself as West Africa's superpower, intervening militarily in the civil wars of Liberia and Sierra Leone. But Nigeria's costly war efforts were unpopular with its own people, who felt Nigeria's limited economic resources were being unnecessarily drained.
Abacha died of a heart attack in 1998 and was succeeded by another military ruler, Gen. Abdulsalam Abubakar, who pledged to step aside for an elected leader by May 1999. The suspicious death of opposition leader Mashood Abiola, who had been imprisoned by the military ever since he legally won the 1993 presidential election, was a crushing blow to democratic proponents. In Feb. 1999, free presidential elections led to an overwhelming victory for Gen. Olusegun Obasanjo, a former member of the military elite who was imprisoned for three years for criticizing the military rule. Obasanjo's commitment to democracy, his anticorruption drives, and his desire to recover billions allegedly stolen by the family and cronies of Abacha initially gained him high praise from the populace as well as the international community. But within two years, the hope of reform seemed doomed as economic mismanagement and rampant corruption persisted. Obasanjo's priorities in 2001 were epitomized by his plans to build a $330 million national soccer stadium, an extravagance that exceeded the combined budget for both health and education. In April 2003, he was reelected.
Religion and Fighting Threaten Nigeria's Stability
Nigeria's stability has been repeatedly threatened by fighting between fundamentalist Muslims and Christians over the spread of Islamic law (sharia) across the heavily Muslim north. One-third of Nigeria's 36 states is ruled by sharia law. More than 10,000 people have died in religious clashes since military rule ended in 1999.
In 2003, after religious and political leaders in the Kano region banned polio immunization—contending that it sterilized girls and spread HIV—an outbreak of polio spread through Nigeria, entering neighboring countries the following year. The Kano region lifted its ten-month ban against vaccination in July 2004. On Aug. 24, there were 602 polio cases worldwide, 79% of which were in Nigeria.
Since 2004, insurgency has wreaked havoc in the Niger delta, Nigeria's oil-producing region. The desperately impoverished local residents of the delta have seen little benefit from Nigeria's vast oil riches, and rebel groups are fighting for a more equal distribution of the wealth as well as greater regional autonomy. Violence by rebel groups has disrupted oil production and reduced output by about 20%. Nigeria is one of the world's largest oil producers and supplies the U.S. with one-fifth of its oil.
In Aug. 2006 Nigeria handed over the oil-rich Bakassi peninsula to Cameroon, in compliance with a 2002 World Court ruling.
Corruption and Violence Taint Democratic Elections
April 2007 national elections—the country's first transition from one democratically elected president to another—were marred by widespread allegations of fraud, ballot stuffing, violence, and chaos. Just days before the election, the Supreme Court ruled that the election commission's decision to remove from the ballot Vice President Atiku Abubakar, a leading candidate and a bitter rival of President Olusegun Obsanjo, was illegal. Ballots were reprinted, but they only showed party symbols rather than the names of candidates. Umaru Yar'Adua, the candidate of the governing party, won the election in a landslide, taking more than 24.6 million votes. Second-place candidate Muhammadu Buhari tallied only about 6 million votes. International observers called the vote flawed and illegitimate. The chief observer for the European Union said the results "cannot be considered to have been credible." An election tribunal ruled in Feb. 2008 that although the election was indeed flawed, the evidence of rigging was not substantial enough to overturn the election results.
The rebel group in Nigeria's oil-producing region, the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta, declared a cease-fire in September. Since the insurgency broke out in 2004, Nigeria's oil production has been significantly reduced, from about 2.5 million barrels a day to 1.5 million.
Deadly violence broke out in July 2009 in northeastern Nigeria between government troops and an obscure fundamentalist sect, Boko Haram, which is opposed to Western education and seeks to have Sharia law implemented throughout the country. The group's name translates to "Western education is sinful." As many as 1,000 civilians died in the battles. The fighting began after militants attacked police stations and seemed to be preparing for a pitched religious war against the government. The police, followed by the army, retaliated and unleashed a five-day assault against the sect. The group's leader, Mohammed Yusuf, was killed in the campaign and the group was nearly decimated.
President Umaru Yar'Adua took ill in November 2009 and traveled to Saudi Arabia for medical treatment. Vice President Goodluck Jonathan, a zoologist, took over as acting president in Feb. 2010. He dissolved his cabinet in March. The move was widely considered an attempt to establish authority over the country. President Yar'Adua died in May, and Jonathan, who is from the mainly Christian south, assumed the presidency.
Sectarian violence broke out in the city of Jos, which is located in Plateau state between the country's Muslim north and Christian south, in Jan. 2010. At least 325 people, mostly Muslims, were killed in the fighting. Another round of violence occurred in Jos in March. The victims were mostly Christians who were hacked to death in their sleep. Local officials suspected the attackers were seeking revenge for the murders in January. The number of fatalities ranged from 200 to 500.
Jonathan prevailed in presidential elections in April 2011, taking about 60% of the vote. He defeated Muhammadu Buhari, the former military ruler who is from the Muslim north. International observers deemed the elections fair–the cleanest in decades. The milestone was somewhat marred after the election, however, as Buhari's supporters in the north violently protested the results.
President Relents on Ending Oil Subsidies
In January 2012, in an effort to repair its tattered economy, President Jonathan eliminated the country's fuel subsidy, which costs the government about $8 billion a year. The move caused fuel and food prices to double. Streets protests and strikes broke out all over the country, and Jonathan relented and partially reinstated the subsidy. Nigeria produces two million barrels of crude oil a day, but because of inadequate refineries—the result of poor management and corruption, the country exports most of the crude and imports gas. A series of corrupt governments has profited handsomely by the oil sales while about 75% of the country lives in extreme poverty.
Government Cracks Down on Islamist Militants in the North
Boko Haram, the fundamentalist Islamist sect that many thought had been obliterated in 2009, made a resurgence in 2011. In fact, the group, which had previously launched attacks locally, emerged as a transnational force possibly linked to al-Qaeda in 2011. It launched nearly daily deadly attacks in 2011, including one on the UN headquarters in August in Abuja, Nigeria's capital, that killed 24 people. On Christmas Day, the sect claimed responsibility for a series of bombings near churches that killed at least 40 people. The government declared a state of emergency in northern Nigeria and dispatched troops to the region, where the group is based. Boko Haram continued its assault on the Lake Chad basin area in the north throughout 2012, prompting retaliatory attacks but government troops.
Fierce—and brutal—fighting between the militants and soldiers in April 2013 in Baga, a fishing village on Lake Chad, left as many as 200 civilians dead and 2,275 homes destroyed. Both sides accused each other of setting homes on fire. The government came under fire for its scorched-earth tactics. In May, the government declared a state of emergency in the northern states of Adamawa, Borno, and Yobe, where Boko Haram has been most actively launching attacks. The move allowed government troops to hold and question terror suspects. The state of emergency did not thwart the violence at the hands of Boko Haram. In July, the government closed secondary schools in Yobe after 22 students were killed in attack attributed to the militants. Another massacre in Borno claimed nearly 90 lives in September. The military inaccurately reported it had killed Abubakar Shekau, the leader of Boko Haram, in August.
A split emerged in the governing People's Democratic Party (PDP) in August over President Jonathan's plans to potentially run for reelection in 2015. He had previously vowed to sit out the election. The decision angered members of his party from the north, and they formed the the New PDP. Vice President Atiku Abubakar, 22 of PDP's 50 senators, and several state governors joined the new faction. In the midst of the political turmoil, Jonathan fired nine of his cabinet ministers, saying he wanted to "refocus his government, to inject in fresh blood to achieve greater service delivery to the people of Nigeria."
Ban on Same-Sex Marriages Sparks Homophobic Violence
On Jan. 7, 2014, President Jonathan, signed the Same Sex Marriage Prohibition Act into law. While homosexual sex has been illegal in Nigeria for generations, the law was only haphazardly enforced. The new legislation has far greater reach; calling for 10 to 14-year prison sentences for offenders and harsh punishments for those who support them. Mob violence directed against dozens believed to be gay has erupted; international community decries "homosexual roundup."
Boko Haram Massacres Hundreds of Civilians
Boko Haram was responsible for the brutal deaths of more than 400 people in and around Maiduguri in northeast Nigeria in February and early March 2014. Among its victims were children watching a soccer match and dozens of male students at a public college in Yobe State, many of whom were burned or shot to death. The group was also blamed for a rush-hour bomb set off in April at a bus station in Nyanya, a city on the outskirts of the capital, Abuja, that killed more than 70 people.
In April, the group kidnapped about 280 girls from a school in the northeast with the intention of making the girls sex slaves. The mass kidnapping—and the government's slow response and inept attempts to rescue them—sparked international outrage and anti-government protests in Nigeria. A social media campaign sparked widespread news coverage of the kidnappings and put pressure on Jonathan to take action against Boko Haram.
In a videotaped message released in early May, Abubakar Shekau, the leader of Boko Haram, said the group planned to sell the abducted girls and threatened to "give their hands in marriage because they are our slaves. We would marry them out at the age of 9. We would marry them out at the age of 12." He also reiterated the group's core belief that Western education is a sin.
The U.S. sent a team from the State Department, the F.B.I. and the Pentagon, 80 troops, and manned and unmanned surveillance drones to Nigeria in May to help to locate the girls. Another 68 girls were kidnapped in June in Borno state; 63 of the girls escaped weeks later.
While the world was focused on the search for the girls, violence attributed to Boko Haram continued. About 100 people were killed in a suicide attack in Jos and dozens more died in a series of attacks on villages in May. The violence continued into the summer, with the military stepping up its attacks on the group. In late June, a bomb attributed to Boko Haram killed about two dozen people in Abuja, the capital. The attack on the city, which is located in central Nigeria, revealed that the group is extending its reach outside its stronghold in the north. About 500 soldiers escaped to neighboring Cameroon in late August after coming under attack by Boko Haram. By early September, the group had captured Gwoza, Gamboru Ngala, Banki, and Bama, towns all located in Borno state near the border with Cameroon. Boko Haram also declared parts of Borno a caliphate. The advances sparked fears that Boko Haram could move in on Maiduguri, the capital of Borno.
In early November, the government announced it had begun to negotiate a cease-fire agreement with Boko Haram, which included the release of the kidnapped girls. Abubakar Shekau, the group's leader, however, denied the claim, and said the girls had converted to Islam and had been "married off."
The group continued to seize cities in the northeast and by early December, had taken control of many cities that surround Maiduguri. It also launched several suicide attacks in Maiduguri and other cities, which killed several hundred people. In the absence of effective government troops, civilian militias began to pop up to fight Boko Haram.
In January 2015, Boko Haram took over Baga, the only major town in Borno state to resist being taken over by the group. News reports said the militants burned the city to the ground and massacred hundreds, if not thousands, of citizens, making it one of the most deadly assaults by Boko Haram. Goodluck Jonathan was widely cricized for not condemning the attack, and his silence may be met with dissent from voters in February's presidential elections. About 8,000 troops from Chad, Niger, Cameroon, and Benin were dispatched to Nigeria to battle the terrorists.
A report released by Amnesty International in June 2015 said the military is responsible for the deaths of more than 8,000 men and boys through extrajudicial executions, torture, starvation, and other forms of ill treatment at detention facilities. The report said the alleged atrocities, which it said constitute war crimes, took place in northeast Nigeria during the army's campaign against Boko Haram.
An outbreak of Ebola hit Nigeria in the summer of 2014. By September, is estimated to have killed eight people in Nigeria, and there were 19 confirmed cases of it in the country, according to the Centers for Disease Control. It is the worst outbreak since the virus was first identified almost 40 years ago. Nigeria successfully contained the virus, and by the end of October, the World Health Organization declared the country free of Ebola.
President Jonathan Ousted at the Ballot Box
Nigeria's election commission postponed for six weeks presidential elections scheduled for Feb. 14 after the military said it could not protect voters in the northeast from Boko Haram. Some questioned if the decision was influenced by President Jonathan, whose victory was by no means guaranteed. Indeed, he faced a strong challenge from Muhammadu Buhari, a former military dictator who was behind a 1983 coup. Buhari prevailed in the March 2015 election, which was largely peaceful. Jonathan's defeat was attributed to his failure to defeat Boko Haram and his inability to crack down on endemic corruption. Jonathan accepted the loss, making for a smooth transfer of power—the first between civilians from different parties.
Buhari fired his top military leaders in July 2015, citing the military's ineffective response to Boko Haram and alleged human rights violations—the use of torture, starvation, and ill treatment at detention facilities—during its campaign against Boko Haram.
In late Jan. 2016, Boko Haram raided the village of Dalori and killed at least 65 people. Dalori residents said that as many as 100 people were killed in the attack. During the raid, children were abducted and the entire village was burned.
The following month, at least 58 people were killed and another 78 wounded in a suicide bombing at a Nigerian refugee camp. The suicide bombers were three girls who had been welcomed into the camp. Two of the girls blew themselves up with bombs, while the third girl chose not detonate hers and gave herself up to authorities after seeing members of her immediate family in the camp. The refugee camp was for people fleeing Boko Haram. As of Feb. 2016, at least 2.5 million have fled from attacks and threats by the militant group.


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Tim Mann @ The Somerville Flea
Sun 10/7/2018 @ 1:00 PM Somerville, Massachusetts
Tim Mann is a singer-songwriter who performs on guitar and ukulele. His songs are in the style of early Neil Young and later Tom Petty with a strong influence of Bob Dylan and George Harrison. Tim's latest record, Chasing Dreams' explores loss and isolation through stark lyrical images couched in a mellow melodic setting. Tim has been performing is throughout the Northeast since 1993.
Sun 10/7/2018 @ 1:00 PM Somerville, Massachusetts


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Morone saxatilis is a regal fish with silver stripes whose glimmer, caught in the face of a wave, or reflecting a ray of sunshine down deep, can instill reverence in the hardest of angling hearts.
As a resource, the striped bass is an ore with rich veins that stream from estuaries all along the East Coast each spring, the migrating mother lode passing through legions of recreational hooks and market-bound nets on its way to and from Northeastern feeding grounds.
From the mid-1990s when bass populations were placed under strict regulatory control to about 2006, a peak of abundance, all was right with the world as defined by those whose lives revolved around them for sport or money. But, for the past several years there have been whispers among fishermen, and they're growing louder: There don't seem to be as many bass around. The farther east one looks, the more profound the sense.
The Vineyard Gazette, a venerable broadsheet that pays close attention to the bass beat, ran a banner earlier this month that read: "Scary Decline in Striper Stocks."
The paper reported that last year's springtime sea worm hatch in the island's coastal ponds — "an event that historically attracts stripers by the thousands — had just about failed after years of under-performance." The Massachusetts division of marine fisheries has seen a 75-percent drop in the catch of small stripers in the past four years.
For the past two, the SurfMasters surfcasting tournament with contenders among the more expert casters found anywhere on the coast, has had to make do with shorter and shorter periods during which 30 to 50-pound fish get within range. A noticeable downturn.
"Last year, it never rose to a high note. It happened for about two days, a short period. Last year and the previous year were two of the worst in the past decade. Very little action. If you caught a 20-pounder it was something special," said Fred Kalkstein, one of the SurfMaster tournament's annual organizers.
"The recreational harvest has been down coastwide for the past several years," said Stephen Hines, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation's section head for finfish and crustaceans. Mr. Hines said the commercial bass fishery had remained more consistent, perhaps because of its "individual quota system." Specific numbers of tags allocated to each licensed fisherman tend to impose stricter catch limits.
The recreational shortfalls, no matter how subtle, tend to create high anxiety within the sportfishing industry. In Massachusetts, fishermen and their representatives are demanding that fishery managers and politicians curtail the commercial catch. On Web sites devoted to striped bass sportfishing, there are calls for the same thing all along the coast. It's a call that echoes down through the years, as far back as the late 19th century, whenever the bass population wavers.
In the mid-1980s when the coastal bass population reached historically low levels, the debate between sport and market fishermen turned violent at times. In East Hampton, nets were cut and a culture was eventually overwhelmed when pressure from the sport industry resulted in the elimination of the local haulseine fishery.
In 1991, after suffering a ban on the sale of bass for the previous five years because of contamination from Hudson River polychlorinated biphenyls, P.C.B.s, baymen were deprived of their most effective gear, their "money fish," and in many respects, their centuries-old way of life.
Neither statistics that clearly showed a far greater impact on the resource from sportfishing nor civil disobedience on the part of Billy Joel and local politicians could stem the tide. Twenty years on, an effort by the National Marine Fisheries Service to get a handle on recreational landings is just getting under way.
With restrictive regulations in place for the past 30 years, the commercial fishing bugaboo may not be so easy to blame for the recent downturn, despite some well-publicized illegal market fishing down south. The cause of slowly dwindling bass stocks may have less to do with fishing, managers say, and more to do with nature.
"Fishing pressure has not changed much," said Robert Beal of the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission. The commission is a federally-empowered body that manages near-shore migratory species including striped bass.
Mr. Beal, who is its director of interstate fisheries management, said that in the last couple years there had been a 60-percent drop in the striped bass catch coastwide by sportfishermen. "It's starting to concern managers, especially in the Gulf of Maine above Cape Cod. They're not seeing the numbers they did at the peak," which Mr. Beal said occurred in 2006.
"The bulk of the fish come from the Chesapeake, but we're seeing low numbers in all the estuaries. There has been relatively low recruitment in the last three of four years," he said, referring to the number of young-of-the-year bass that are seen during seine surveys in the Chesapeake Bay and other estuaries.
"We're not seeing any big slug of fish. There are fewer juveniles coming in, and fewer adults," Mr. Beal said. And, although he said the bass population remained above biomass levels that would signal collapse, "there are some concerns. Managers are starting to write an addendum, a modification to the management plan to be considered. A new stock assessment will be ready by the November meeting of the commission. They want to be in a position to act."
So if not fishing pressure, what? Mr. Beal and Mr. Hines agreed that the high recruitment that fostered the abundance of bass in 2006, might have been an "overachievement," the word used by Mr. Beal to suggest that once a spawning biomass puts enough animals in the system, breeding fish tend to produce fewer young. "It's a biological reaction common in other fishes. You won't see good recruitment for a few years," a natural cycle, Mr. Hines said.
The Atlantic States Commission's director of interstate fisheries management added that the relative success of juvenile recruitment could also be "driven by wet and dry seasons. The concern is seeing fewer adults being caught and year-class strength not strong."
"Another problem is that most of our regulations have us fishing for the most successful breeders," said Michael Potts, captain of the Blue Fin IV charter boat in Montauk. "There are schools of thought, which I identify with, that it would be better to target different size fish. Around three years ago, we had success with big fish all year. Since then, not that many. Nowhere near the problem in the early '80s, but it has been a concern." Captain Potts also holds a state commercial bass license.
"I don't favor commercial increase, even though it would benefit me, but I don't favor a decrease either. We should be seeing a shortage of 2-year-old bass," he said, reflecting what was a poor recruitment in 2009. "What we are seeing is a lot of 10 and 20-pounders around. The maximum breeder is around 25 to 30 pounds. Killing 50-pound bass doesn't matter. They're past their prime."
"My recommendation would be something like, instead of two bass over 28 inches [the current bag limit in New York for anglers aboard for-hire boats], which forces us to fish for two of the largest bass for everyone, what if you were allowed one bass between 24 and 32 inches, and one over 32, a sweet one and a trophy. There are fewer bass. You can feel it, a quiet trend, but I don't think we're on the verge of collapse."
The Atlantic States Commission's Mr. Beal agreed. "I don't want to paint a grim picture," he said. "There's still a lot of striped bass in the ocean. It's a premier fishery up and down the coast."
It's happening again, we should go back to the old 36' minimum size. I remember in the early 90's that was the deal, we all had fun and lo and behold the bass came back, so what do they do, lower it to 28', no no surpise the bass are disappearing again. its not rocket science.
Perhaps a comprise, minimum of 32' from the beach and 36 from the boats????
"Killing a 50-pound bass doesn't matter". That is simply not true. It is my understanding that larger bass are the most fecund and in fact a 50 pounder will actually produce twice as many eggs as a 25 pounder.
Both the recreational and commercial catch needs to be cut. Also, the rampant poaching by commercial fishermen in the Chesapeake needs to be stopped by law enforcement.


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'N.A.L.G.O.' read the print across Henry Holland's t-shirt as he took a bow - a cutesy acronym, spawned by Holland's Twitter feed, for 'Not A Lot Going On'. Frankly, this could be applied to many of his collections - but not this one. For Autumn/Winter 2010, Holland's trip was downtown New York girl gangs and hip-hop culture, printing classic paisley bandana patterns across his own gang colours of pastel turquoise, pink and washed-out denim blue. The same cropped up across Holland's hosiery, and knitted into his abbreviated sweaters and tube mini-skirts. It also seemed as if he'd been flicking through early 1990s issues of American Vogue, specifically Karl Lagerfeld's collections ripping off rip-off Chanel. Thus Katie Hillier's Canal Street bling jumbo chains and oversized hooped earrings came threaded with scraps of that paisley silk, and he even fashioned his own 'HOUSE OF HOLLAND' emblazoned knicker-elastic, worn loud and proud Marky-Mark style at the waistband of cotton jersey skirts, or wound into a bandage dress of alternating stripes. It wasn't about being edgy, or even unique, but it struck a chord and caught a mood in a way few other House of Holland collections have managed. Henry even managed to cram a few trends in, albeit done the Holland way - cue fantastic chunky candy-coloured shearling biker jackets, and the same fur tufting up on sweatshirts and miniskirts. Those block-lettered acronym t-shirts abounded, of course. Already modelled on a self-titled blog by a bevvy of celebrity fans, they're Holland's new 'thing', and he's now selling them via a new Blackberry application for immediate order. It's a pity he isn't offering the rest of this preppy, poppy collection too - it would shift like the proverbial hotcakes.
London Womenswear A/W 10
House of Holland
Show Report
It struck a chord and caught a mood in a way few other House of Holland collections have managed.


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Bicycle Rides in Tyler Are Leading to Coffins — It Has to Change
Imagine a young man who decided to take a bicycle ride down the street to your favorite sandwich shop on a gorgeous summer day. The sun warms his back as he makes sure to look around at intersections and when switching lanes, but the breeze of gliding down hills cools him as he rides. Being careful to stay as far right as he can to pass the cars parked at the curb, he sees the sandwich shop less than a block up ahead.
Then ... WHAM.
He feels sudden, intense pain and a force pushing him sideways to the left. The object that has hit him is a truck headed to the construction site. He's now lodged between the pavement, his bike and the grill of the truck. The severe pain is coming mainly from his leg. He looks down to find his leg has been severed from his body. The bicycle has cut his limb like a dull sword. A crowd surrounds him trying to help, but before they or even he knows it, he is passing fast from blood loss.
The last thing this young man will see is the truck driver's face crying apologies, "I didn't even look. I didn't see you. I am so sorry. Please forgive me. I didn't even look."
Then, just like that, he's gone.
This is an idea of what happened this past summer. While I was living in Austin, I witnessed this very accident. Just two blocks away from my home, a girl was headed to lunch on her bicycle and was hit by a dump truck and died from blood loss from her leg being cut from her body. And this happened in one of the most bicycle friendly cities in the country.
Now imagine how scary it is to bike in Tyler, Texas -- that didn't even make that list.
Tyler's bicycle accommodations are not adequate to the growing population of cyclists and the city must create more bicycle lanes and educate its driving population on how to treat bicycle riders on the road. Changes need to be made as soon as possible to prevent more deaths that could easily be avoided.
I am a big bike rider, both for commuting and for fun. From years of riding around Tyler, I have personally seen what is at risk when I hit the roads. I have begun to start awareness programs to prevent accidents like what happened in Austin. This past spring, I organized a charity bike ride for awareness here in Tyler.
On this ride we installed a monument unique to the world of cyclists. A bicycle painted in all white is placed at the scene of a bicycle accident resulting in death. This monument is called a "ghost bike." This serves as more than just a an expression of sympathy; it is a symbol to everyone of the importance of being safe on the road.
From today forward you will all see more bicycle riders in Tyler. Not just because after this article you will be looking for them, but because there will be more and more on the roads coming soon.
As a cities population grows, so does the diversity of its people. Thus, the types of commuters changes as well. Tyler is now up to more 100,000 people. Some of these residents will not be at the top of the economic food chain. And as the economy improves at a glacial pace and gas prices continue to increase, more and more people are going to be choosing bicycles over cars and gas guzzling SUVs or trucks.
Another group of Tyler residents are the growing numbers of college students. In general, college students are a broke species. This means a lot of them are too poor to pay for gas all of the time and rarely travel too far from campus. All of this creates a perfect environment for the growth of bike riding. Also, in this section of the population, there is a growing trend of it being hip and cool to ride bikes.
The issue is for the safety all citizens of Tyler, not their complete comfort. Let me explain what is happening to the bike riders on the roads now, here in Tyler.
Bicycle riding can be a very dangerous mode of travel. BicyclingInfo.org lists these facts about cyclists crashes:
In 2010 there were 618 deaths from car versus bicycle accidents. 51,000 cyclists injuries. Which after research through hospital records, we have learned that less than 10% of bicycle crashes resulting in injuries are reported officially by police. Also, more than $4 billion are spent every year on bicycle related injury medical bills and funeral costs."
Those are scary figures. And they are not too far from home. Tyler has already had a handful of automobile versus bicycle deaths.
On April 16 of this year, a young man in Tyler lost his life while biking. Allen Hall was just 15 when he passed away. On the ESE side of Loop 323 in front of Green Acres Bowl, a man hit Allen. The man did not realize he had hit him until his backpack came flying out from behind the car. Hall died in the hospital from severe head trauma.
The picture that you see above is the "ghost bike" (donated by Elite Bicycles of Tyler) that was placed at the scene of his accident. It is a heartbreaking sight to see that someone close to him as pinned a homecoming mum there because he is no longer around to receive it himself.
The city of Tyler needs to make some changes. Preventing another family from missing moments, such as putting a mum together for their son, is a very important action.
New policies and accommodations are desperately needed. First should be the addition of more bike lanes around town. The bike lanes now are short and too sporadic to really give a cyclist a good path to and from. Also, the city needs to better educate its drivers on how to behave near bicycles.
The website SafeRoads.com tells drivers the following: not follow a rider too close, bicycles by law are to be seen as vehicles and treated accordingly, and to keep a mindful eye out for riders especially on the right side as they might pass you.
What else is city management for but to create a safe environment for its population and better the city any way that they can? I see the improved conditions for bicyclists is a move towards that goal.
Because how many more bicycle riders must be injured or killed before we can all truly share the roads?


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Blackhawks stretch streak to 20 by beating Bluesby Louie Korac
ST. LOUIS -- The Chicago Blackhawks' historic run will live to see another day -- and they didn't need a sixth straight one-goal decision to make it happen.
Jonathan Toews scored twice, including a goal 12 seconds into the game, and the Hawks made it 17 wins in 20 tries by downing the St. Louis Blues 3-0 at Scottrade Center on Thursday night. The Blackhawks now have at least one point in each of their first 20 games this season and 26 in a row dating back to last March. They'll try to extend those streaks when they host Columbus on Friday night.
"It's cool to be mentioned like that in history," said Blackhawks goaltender Ray Emery, who replaced Corey Crawford after the first period in goal after Crawford suffered an upper-body injury.
The Blackhawks (17-0-3) also made it 17 straight games earning at least a point on the road dating back to last season (13-0-4).
"At the end of the day when you have a chance to sit down and analyze what's going on, we haven't done that in here, but looking at our road record, that is very impressive," Blackhawks forward Patrick Sharp said. "It speaks a lot to the preparation of our coaches and players that put into every game.
"Every building we play in is tough. No question St. Louis [was] a tough one tonight. The fact that we've managed to salvage points on the road is a good thing. We want to make sure that continues."
Right now, Chicago is getting points everywhere, no matter what building they play in.
"We've had some good games to date, but that might have been the best," Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville said. "I just think we're taking pride in playing the game that's in front of us, being consistent and everyone challenging and pushing one another."
Andrew Shaw also scored for the Blackhawks, and Marian Hossa collected a pair of assists, Crawford stopped six shots before departing after one period. Emery stopped 15 more to complete the shutout.
"These guys played a really good defensive game," Emery said of his teammates. "I was kind of surprised going in there in the second period, but you have to be prepared for that. That's why I'm here. I thought it was a really complete game for the guys."
Jaroslav Halak kicked out 20 shots, but it wasn't enough as the Blues (10-7-2) were blanked on home ice for the first time since a 6-0 loss to Calgary on March 1, 2011. The Blues have scored only three goals in the last four games, covering 12 periods and one overtime.
It didn't take Chicago long to break out on top, as Toews redirected Brandon Saad's centering feed past Halak 12 seconds after the opening faceoff for a 1-0 lead. It's the fastest goal to start a game in for the Blackhawks since Dave Bolland [10 seconds] scored on March 16, 2012. Brent Sutter [eight seconds] has the franchise record when he scored on Feb. 5, 1995.
Hossa's long cross-ice pass to Saad allowed the play to develop, and Toews finished. The play was reviewed as the puck went in off Toews' skate, but without an intentional kicking motion.
"It was a good passing play," Toews said. "All five guys touched the puck. I rushed to the net. It went off my stick or shin pad ... whatever. It doesn't matter to me. It was a great way to start the game."
Blues captain David Backes, who left the game for a stretch in the second period but returned after taking the standard protocol concussion testing following a collision with Saad, said the Blues' top line had to take full responsibility for the poor start.
"It's a terrible start on our line's part," Backes said. "We've got to be better in setting the tone for our team. I don't know if there's a worse way to do it than 12 seconds in giving a goal up. We've got to improve that. That's on our shoulders.
"If stuff like that does happen, we've got to have the poise at some point in the game to get that back. We'll take full credit for the terrible start against a really good hockey team that you can't have that against."
The Blues pushed for the equalizer and nearly got it, but the Hawks were rescued once by a post and another time by Emery's glove.
Kevin Shattenkirk's wrister from the point on the Blues' third power play midway through the second period had eyes and found its way through traffic but hit the inside of the left post but stayed out. Patrik Berglund fed Chris Stewart all alone in the slot moments later, but instead of redirecting the puck from the crease, Stewart tried to flip a wrister from the right of the goal; Emery and his mitt were up to the task and preserved the 1-0 lead.
Shaw's fifth of the season came after Bryan Bickell won a puck battle with the Blues' Kris Russell behind the net, fed Shaw for a one-timer from the slot 2:11 into the third period for a 2-0 lead.
Blues coach Ken Hitchcock said Shaw's goal was a backbreaker.
"The game was right there for us at 1-0," Hitchcock said. "We probably had more quality chances than they did, but the 2-0 goal took the wind out of our sails. I thought we had some opportunities in the first period like we talked about but didn't capitalize."
Toews got his second of the night off a rebound in front. Nick Leddy's shot from the top of the left circle was initially stopped by Halak, but Toews got inside position on defenseman Ian Cole to swat the rebound into the net at 6:56.
Quenneville said Crawford would return home with the team tonight as the Blackhawks host the Blue Jackets for the second time in six days. They beat Columbus 1-0 on Sunday.


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The Cobra XRS-9430
The Cobra XRS-9430 is a 12 band™ radar detector featuring Cobra's Xtreme Range Superheterodyne™ Technology. With this new technology, the XRS-9430 has even more range than past Cobra models. This model also provides voice alerts, and an UltraBright™ LED display with numeric signal strength indicator. The intuitive IntelliMute™ feature is also included, and will automatically mute the detector based on your speed. The Cobra XRS-9430 responds to all types of radar currently in use by police, and provides 360 degree detection of all types of laser guns laser. The XRS-9430 also provides detailed messages from Cobra's exclusive Safety Alert® and Strobe Alert warning systems. The Cobra XRS-9430 is immune to the VG-2 and Spectre I radar detector detectors, and provides alerts when VG-2 and Spectre I are in use. Cobra's Strobe Alert will alert motorists to over 50,000 emergency vehicles equipped with strobe transmitters that activate red lights at traffic intersections in emergency high speed situations. Call your local Fire/Police department for your area coverage.


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Balloon needed a new web page design and created a contest on 99designs.
A winner was selected from 46 designs submitted by 16 freelance designers.
We've just rebranded with a new logo, and new stationery and we need a new website design! Trouble is, we're too busy doing designs for our clients to do our own!
We're looking for a clean, fresh, quite minimalist design for our website. You can see a copy of our new brand guidelines at http://www.firehoop.com/brand/firehoopbrand.pdf. You can also download an EPS version of our logo at
Our current holding page - http://www.firehoop.com shows the sort of direction that we're heading in.
The site will have the following sections...
- Home Page
- Our Work (the things we've done)
- Our Thoughts (articles and blogs)
- Our Clients (the type of people we work with)
- Work With Us (a bit about recruitment)
- Contact Us
- A professional design that fits with our brand guidelines
- We'd like a design which explores illustrative uses of our logo to provide a backdrop for the site as opposed to using photography.
- A simple, clear navigational structure.
- Something that reflects our friendly and approachable attitude.
- I want to really convey the fact that we know what we're talking about, so areas on the homepage which detail the latest articles / blog posts would be good.
- Photography!
- Clutter


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Only hotels in Garden City are listed below. Search for cheap and discounted hotel and motel rates in or close to Garden City, MI for your upcoming personal or group travel. Explore the most favored Garden City Michigan hotel rooms. Review the Garden City hotel list below to find the perfect lodging. We also have a map of the Garden City hotels. Group booking? Search Garden City Group Hotel Deals
The Garden City center point is approximately 5 miles west of Downtown Dearborn and 5 miles west of Dearborn Historical Museum.
How should we direct your call?


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- Sandstone Car Coasters
- Car Coaster Set - Pink Criss Cross Ridiculously Amazing
Product Description
Our Car Coasters will add a touch of style to your car's interior, while absorbing excess moisture to keep your cup holders dry. Perfect gift for all and will be enjoyed every day!
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- Coasters are sold as an identical SET of TWO
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Not even Donald Rumsfeld understands his tax returns.
The former defense Secretary penned an annual letter to the Internal Revenue Service stating that he has "absolutely no idea whether our tax returns and our tax payments are accurate." In the letter, links to which were posted on Rumsfeld's Twitter account Tuesday afternoon, he notes that despite being a college graduate (slightly understating his resume) he and his wife do not understand their tax returns and that neither do most other Americans. "As in past years, I have spent more money than I wanted to spend to hire an accounting firm to prepare our tax returns," he writes.
Rumsfeld is hardly the only taxpayer calling for a simplified filing process. Some critics of the tax code say more Americans would do their own taxes – about 60% of returns are done by preparers—if they had a better understanding of the information going onto the forms.
Some tax experts like Austan Goolsbee say one solution could be to have the IRS, which already receives income information from employers and banks, put together federal tax returns for people with simple tax situations. Goolsbee estimates that up to 40% of Americans would be able to take advantage of "return-free filing" and that it would save them more than $2 billion a year in tax preparation fees and 225 million hours of time.
Unsurprisingly, the biggest opponent of this simpler approach has been the tax preparation industry. An investigation from ProPublica found that lobbyists and public relations pros for Intuit, the maker of TurboTax, were behind much of the letters written in opposition to return free-filing.
As it stands, the tax code has 2,652 pages and more than 1 million words, according to the Tax Foundation. And the flagship 1040 Tax Form has gone from 30 lines and having one page of instructions to 87 lines and needing 206 pages of instructions. That's why the Tax Policy Center recently released an annotated version of the 1040 Form with about 100 pages of details and factoids about each line.
Also see:
How to fix the tax code in one tweet
Cast your vote on the best way to fix the U.S. tax code
Here's where your tax dollars really go


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Brussels, 31 May 2006
EU coherent strategy against fiscal fraud – Frequently Asked Questions
(see also IP/06/697)
What does this Communication for a strategy against tax fraud exactly cover?
This Communication presents a whole range of pragmatic and realistic actions that could be taken against tax fraud. However, it is essential that this would be done in a coordinated and integrated manner. This Communication covers direct and indirect taxes but clearly the fight against VAT carousel fraud is a major issue within that Communication.
This Communication should serve as a basis for a broad discussion with Member States and stakeholders on a number of issues, for instance on reinforcing cooperation between Member States, increasing cooperation with third countries or on the need to modify the current community VAT legislation.
Why do we need a European action to combat tax fraud?
Tax fraud is a global phenomenon. Fraudsters are ahead of many companies and of tax administrations in terms of globalisation. In the context of the internal market, in particular, fraudsters take advantage of the four freedoms to move their activities very rapidly in order to escape from the reach of tax administrations that remain organised at a national level.
The free circulation of goods and services within the internal market but also the globalisation of the economy makes it practically impossible for a Member State to act individually against tax fraud. In order to address this phenomenon, there is a pressing need to define a coordinated action at EU level.
What are the Commission's suggestions?
The Commission proposes to reinforce the existing cooperation tools between the Member States as well as to introduce innovative measures if necessary in view of the development of an EU strategy against tax fraud.
The Commission believes that exchange of information could be improved by taking advantage of new developments in information technologies. In this context, declaration obligations could be re-examined with a view to fighting against fiscal fraud.
Moreover, the Commission considers that cooperation with third countries is essential in order to fight fraud. It is important to have a global approach, common to all taxes as well as to the entire EU in order to be effective.
Finally, solutions involving some legislative changes in the common VAT (see below: more extensive use of reverse charge) and excise duty system should be examined with an open mind.
What are the existing community tools to combat fraud? Why do we need to improve them?
Combating fraud is for a large part a Member State's competence. In order to assist Member States in this task, tools for administrative cooperation between Member States are available at EU level.
These tools are organised around each sector of taxation. Indeed VAT, excise duties and direct taxes all have their legal tools, committees, procedures for exchanging information and to some extent their own informatics system.
These tools, despite the efforts already deployed in the last years, need to be further improved and complemented. Moreover, it is necessary to ensure that Member States make more efficient use of the existing instruments.
They should be developed in a way that would allow a much more coherent approach to tackling tax fraud. Only a rapid and well targeted exchange of information and action at European level can assist Member States in their efforts to fight the rapidly adapting tax fraudsters.
What could be the expected impact of a coherent strategy?
At this stage it is very difficult to define the potential impact of a new coherent strategy on the level of reduction of the fiscal fraud. The intention of the Commission is to launch an in-depth debate at political level with Member States and stakeholders, in which all possible alternatives would be discussed with an open mind in order to find the most efficient and pragmatic way to fight tax fraud at European level.
How much support does the Commission expect from the Member States?
Several Member States consider that the fight against fiscal fraud is a priority. In addition, many Member States recognise that this fight against fiscal fraud is a problem that cannot be solved at national level. Some Member States have already quite innovative ideas about the fight against tax fraud, therefore the Commission is convinced that most Member States will be prepared to participate actively in the debate and hopefully to contribute to the definition of the new strategy.
Do we have figures on the amount of tax fraud in Europe?
Unfortunately, the Commission has no detailed figures on the level of tax fraud. Mainly because very few Member States make figures available. However, in the economic literature, estimates of tax fraud of 2 to 2.5% of GDP are mentioned. This would represent about 200 to 250 billion Euro at EU level.
On the VAT fraud, estimates of up to 10% of losses in VAT receipts are often quoted.
In order to have a clearer picture the Commission is about to launch an in-depth study on the amount of VAT fraud and different methods to assess it and gather comparable figures for all member States.
The Commission is only aware of more detailed figures which have been public in Germany and the UK. Germany has recently estimated the overall losses in VAT receipts at 17 billions € per year. This figure consists not only of losses due to carousel fraud but covers also losses due to black economy, deduction tax fraud and insolvencies. The so-called "VAT-gap", meaning the difference between the theoretical VAT receipts and the actual VAT receipts.
In the UK the VAT gap is estimated at 13,5 % of the VAT receipts, the revenue losses due to carousel fraud are estimated between €1,5 billion and €3 billion a year. This represents about 1.5% to 2.5% of the total UK VAT receipts.
On the excise fraud, Member States estimated in 1998 that for alcohol only, fraud amounted up to €1,5 billion yearly, which was approximately 8% of the total excise duties receipts on alcoholic beverages.
On the excise fraud related to tobacco, national EU customs authorities seized in 2004 more than 41 million packets of counterfeit cigarettes. Nowadays the market share of illegal cigarettes is equivalent to approximately 9% of the total excise duty receipts on tobacco products.
How does VAT carousel fraud work?
On internal supplies, a supplier charges VAT to his customer. His supplier pays this VAT to the Treasury. The customer, where it is a business, can reclaim this VAT from the Treasury. It is the final consumer who bears the VAT charge since he can not reclaim the VAT from the Treasury.
However, the rules are different for supplies to business clients in other Member States. The supplier does no charge VAT and the goods circulate VAT free.
The fraud mechanism works as follows. A company (B) acquires goods in another Member State without having to pay VAT to his supplier (A). Subsequently it makes a domestic supply for which it charges VAT to his customer (C). However, the company (B) does not pay the VAT to the Treasury and disappears. The customer (C) claims a refund of the VAT paid to the company (B). Consequently, the financial loss is for the Treasury which has to refund VAT to the customer (C) which it never collected from the supplier (B).
Subsequently, Company C may declare an exempt intra-community supply to Company (A) and, in its turn, (A) may make an exempt intra-community supply to (B) and the fraud pattern resumes, thus explaining the term "Carousel fraud".
The main elements are the fact that has been an intra-Community transactions and a trader charging VAT to his customer but not paying it to the Treasury and "going missing".
This is a very simplistic description of the fraud, which in reality is much more complex, involving a series of transactions with intermediary companies (D) in order to hide the fraudulent character of it.
[Graphic in PDF & Word format]
What is the so called VAT reverse charge mechanism?
The reverse charge mechanism can only be applied to supplies to business clients. It allows the supplier of goods or services to not charge VAT to his customer. The supplier does not pay the VAT to the Treasury and it is the customer to do it. This customer can subsequently deduct this amount of self invoiced VAT, when the goods or services are used for business purposes.
What's the Commission's position on the use of the reverse charge system as a tool to tackle VAT fraud?
A small number of Member States have advocated for a more extensive use of the reverse charge system in view of reducing VAT fraud. However, making a more extensive use of the reverse charge requires a change in the existing VAT legislation.
As it supports the objective of combating fraud, the Commission is examining the need for such a step with an open mind at this stage. It has notably to be analysed whether such a change provides for a clear reduction of fraud opportunities and does not create new opportunities for fraud. Furthermore, it may not lead to a disproportionate administrative burden for businesses and tax administrations and a neutral and non-discriminatory treatment of all operators would have to be ensured.
Why could the definitive VAT system (taxation at origin) reduce VAT fraud?
The so-called "definitive VAT system" is based on the taxation of goods and services in the Member State of origin.
An origin system would have many advantages; it would be simple for businesses and less vulnerable to fraud. Under such a system goods would not circulate tax free within the Community. It would certainly bring a solution to carousel fraud, although it would not be able to eliminate all kind of fraud (black economy).
A system of taxation at origin requires, however, a much higher degree of harmonisation of the taxation system and of the VAT rates compared to the current destination based VAT system, in order to avoid delocalisation of businesses.
It is obvious that there is currently not the political will amongst Member States to make such fundamental changes to the VAT system. Furthermore, it is to be reminded that such changes require adoption by unanimity.
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text:
Re: Aylin Vel
Sev Fett wrote:
Woah. Boba is not someone who I would call gay. Like definately not. Besides as many people have stated there is nothing wrong with not having a girlfriend. If you really thought about it, his loner attitude is what makes him so cool. The whole independant thing only furthers his coolness and I think how they keep writing stories that explain more about him it ruins the mysterious aura surrounding Boba Fett.
I totally agree with that, but what I'm saying is that there are a lot of idiots who just assume he's gay if he has no girlfriend.
oh those people. They barely even follow the Star Wars so I dont even bother with those people.


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Moving can be a stressful endeavour in general, but when you throw a bunch of expensive electronics into the mix, the stakes get even higher. Whether you're moving down the block, to another neighbourhood, or to a completely new state, you need to make sure that your valuables are adequately protected while in transit—especially your electronics. That's where Maplegreen Moving can help. As a reliable moving company catering to London, ON, we specialize in electronics moving.
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Great quality services
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Im impressed with the professionalism from this company.Thanx
White glove relocation
Firstly I want to commend your team on my daughter's move on April 29. The movers were Matt, Marco and headed by T. I must say they were delightful. They were running a bit late so I received a phone call stating such. That was very respectful. The movers were also very professional, they got along with each other and worked as a team. My daughter has moved several times, mainly within Ottawa so we know all about what's important in a moving company. I would certainly call you up again, depending on where her next move takes her.
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Our first move with a moving company - and what a positive experience! This was a corporate move from central to London. The packing crew took such care wrapping everything from the kitchen to all our fragile glass art objects. After unpacking, we found that nothing had been damaged. Next came the moving team, taking equally as much care with our solid wood furniture, paintings and large art pieces. Again, all arrived well without any marks or lost pieces.The crews showed professionalism and dedication throughout the process.Beyond the actual move, the administration team made sure that the estimation, scheduling and addressing special needs made this experience effortless for us. I highly recommend Maple Green (Maple team) for moving your household to a new home.
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Maple Green Movers were able to get us booked in very quickly. We didn't have much time to plan our move and they were all more than helpful. Their service and suggestions made the experience go smoothly. We were able to worry about our kids and pets while they worried about our belongings. Everything arrived on time with no unexpected issues.
These guys were quick, efficient, polite and respectable at all times and had the move done under 3 hours. They did not waste time going off for cigarettes or breaks (which I have experienced from movers before) and just concentrated on getting the job done. They turned up to get the job done and they even had the courtesy of introducing themselves. Maple Green is a company im definetly recommending to my friends and family.
I used The Maplegreen for my move from outside of the city to a 3rd floor walk up apartment in London.They were friendly, they were efficient with their time and they were accurate with the price that they quoted me. Even though it was probably one of the hottest weekends in July these guys worked very hard to have me moved in the time they quoted and didn't slow down. I would recommend using them for any move!
I was super happy with the service I received from Maplegreen. From the free in-home estimate, to the on-the-day movers, everyone was pleasant, professional and friendly. The actual move took way less time than I was worried it would, thanks to the efficiency of the movers. The free boxes didn't suck either. I'll always go for the four-guy option from now on. Thanks for the great advice, Jerry
"Fantastic service!"
We started with great communication and ended with a very professionally carried out move. The team was ably led by Jason and the members were hard-working, diligent, friendly and very skilled. We expected that this would be a worthwhile investment, and we were not disappointed. We highly recommend Maplegreen Moving and would definitely use them again, should the need arise.
Kind and Professional
Im more than happy, the movers were very friendly. They treated me like their little God.I would recommend Maplegreen Moving
- English


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I'm downsizing from that big room that I've used for the past 15 years to our much smaller 12x15 loft room. That's not a sad decision, it's an opportunity to make big changes and purge and organize my paper files! That's always been a hard thing for me to do. I'm a paper saver. Yes. I love paper files. I've digitized about 50%, but I always want my paper backups.
Downsizing is Tricky
|Some of my current filing cabinets
Because the loft is chopped up with a dormer at one end and a small powder room at the other, I don't have a lot of wall space. And there is only one full height wall. So no room for my two lateral 3' long filing cabinets, and my rolling antique dentist unit that I use for office materials, or my pine harvest table that currently holds my hanging files or.... well you get the picture!
I am going to have to weed down to 3/4 of my current desk (hubs has to figure out how to make an l-shaped desk out of a u-shaped one), my credenza and one lateral filing cabinet. Oh yeah and one bookcase.
So all my files have to fit into the credenza or one filing cabinet. A challenge to be sure! I am going to have to purge like crazy. The one bonus is that I can put my second lateral filing cabinet in the basement for overflow. Phew.
|Hanging File folders on harvest table and one bookcase
Figuring Out a Working System
I've got a bit of an idea for a working system to start the process. I figure I'll sort first into business vs genealogy vs personal. Three basic "piles". Business vs personal is easy - anything older than 7 years gets shredded. The rest gets organized into categories, labelled if needed and only the current year stays in my files. Older years go into a large envelope, labelled by year and taken to basement storage.
This will be a flexible system, and I'll change it as needed.
Sorting Genealogy Papers
Genealogy is the hard one for me! I'll start by sorting papers by the following criteria and then decide what goes to the loft and what has to go to the basement:
1. my personal genealogy
2. client work
3. research for family history books I'm writing or planning/hoping to write
That means I finally have to steel myself to toss the photocopies of French documents I used to write my first Van Slyke history book. That's a pile of papers at least 3 feet high. Maybe higher.
That means I have to throw out the copies I've keep of documents about various family lines that aren't mine. You know, the ones you keep "in case". In case some other genealogist ever asks you about that family. In case you one day find out you are related. I'm taking the plunge, after 25 years with me I don't think I need them taking up space in my home anymore. That's going to be tough to do.
But perhaps I'll finally be able to proudly proclaim that I have indeed organized my genealogy!


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Monkslaw.Com - Occupational Drivers License Houston - Houston Traffic Lawyer
DRUNK DRIVING is owning drunk of intoxicants, which is unlawful in Houston. You ought to locate a Houston DWI Attorney quickly if an authorities policeman draws you over as an outcome of owning while inebriateded. Preferably, when you are accuseded of DWI, you could wind up paying large penalties and also your finest escape of this is by locating a knowledgeable Houston DWI Lawyer
Normally, DWI instances could be fairly expensive in regards to the penalties, prison time, shedding owning opportunities, and also investing a great deal of time in the entire procedure. With a competent Houston DWI lawyer, the charges and also the fees are reduced or also disregarded.
The Houston DWI attorney will certainly stroll with you from the minute you are detained up to the factor when the situation comes to the end. All this time, the legal representative would certainly be functioning relentlessly to make sure that you have the ideal feasible end result of the situation.
Advantage of a Professional Lawyer.
Typical DWI Penalties
There are number charges that a transgressor could anticipate to deal with in Houston. A few of one of the most usual penalties consist of:
- Huge amounts of cash, which are implied to cover the court prices, penalties and also the costs that you will certainly pay to the Houston DWI lawyer.
- Loss of owning opportunities with the cancellation or suspension of your chauffeurs' permit.
- You could deal with prison time or social work. When it will certainly be a mix of both, there are circumstances.
- You could have the insurance policy prices enhanced for a few years.
There are circumstances when you could be penalized a mix of these charges, and also this could be fairly challenging. This is the reason that you need to take into consideration working with a specialist Houston DWI lawyer right now.
How you can Hire a Houston DWI Lawyer
It is vital to keep in mind that not all attorneys could manage DWI instances. If this is the initial time that you are being founded guilty of DWI, you ought to ask for referrals from individuals that have actually functioned with Houston DWI lawyers in the past.
Monks Law Firm has terrific experience in DWI situations as well as has recorder a high success price. You Monks Law Firm are your excellent selection if you are Houston location and also require the solutions of certified DWI.
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Phone No : +1 713-666-6657


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European Commission
Press release
Brussels, 18 April 2013
EU Cohesion Policy is helping to weather the crisis and produce growth, says Commission 2013 Strategic Report
The European Commission has today presented an overview of how EU Structural Funds are working in Member States. The 'Strategic Report' on the implementation of 2007-2013 Cohesion Policy programmes pulls together available information from Member States, up to end-2011 in most cases. With 4 more years to go until the programmes finish in 2015, investments under the European Regional Development Fund, Cohesion Fund and European Social Fund have already led to progress and improvement for many citizens.
Across the EU, these include:
Innovation and small business are receiving a huge boost from cohesion policy investments with many more in the pipeline. So far:
As funds are utilised and projects get off the ground, the report documents:
Commenting on the report, Regional Policy Commissioner Johannes Hahn said: "This report provides an invaluable snapshot of a policy that is delivering across most of the EU's priorities and investing in growth when it is most desperately needed. We are providing support to new innovative business and creating good sustainable jobs for the future, giving remote regions broadband, tackling the brain drain, and building vital transport links that contribute to regions' competitiveness. The policy has also shown itself capable of great flexibility, responding to the crisis and adapting to the changing needs of people and their communities."
He added: "But we also have lessons to learn: results are sometimes patchy and Member States need to speed up their efforts to use the EU resources. As we look ahead to the new programming period, we expect Member States and regions to focus the policy even more on results and priorities that will have the greatest impact."
Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion Lázsló Andor added, "With the crisis, EU cohesion policy funds have become even more important as a source of investment across the Union. The European Social Fund is delivering crucial support to our human capital, especially helping young people to maximise their chances of a successful career. The preparation of the next generation of programmes is a unique opportunity to underpin our growth and jobs strategy with significant financial support. Social and human capital investment needs to play an important role in this."
The "Strategic Report" outlines the progress of each country on delivering EU objectives, in line with the targets of the Europe 2020 Strategy. It encourages Member States to measure progress in key strategic sectors, such as research and innovation, rail, energy, capacity building, sustainable urban transport, job creation and training.
The reports submitted by the 27 Member States at the end of 2012 (based mainly on 2011 data) provide the Commission with the first opportunity to report, during a programming period, on progress in delivering outputs and results and to highlight important and timely messages on the potential of Cohesion Policy to play its part in the EU's economic recovery. The Commission identifies the investment areas where action must be taken to speed up the selection and execution of projects co-financed in 2007 2013 in order to meet the objectives set.
Through its three Funds - the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), the European Social Fund (ESF), and the Cohesion Fund - EU cohesion policy is investing €347 billion in 2007-2013 in the 27 Member States. This represents 35% of the total EU budget for the same period (€975 billion).
The Report also underlines the relevance of the profound reforms currently being negotiated between the European Parliament and EU governments for cohesion policy from 2014-2020, including a more strategic concentration of resources on key priorities and more focus on results and evaluation.
More information
Annual Implementation reports for 27 Member States
More information on European cohesion policy:
Legislative proposals from Commission on Cohesion Policy Reform:
European Social Fund:
Audiovisual material on projects and people supported by the European Social Fund
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The Best Buildings Deliver 'Class-A' Returns for Their Owners
Monday, July 30, 2012
NOI: A company's net operating income after operating expenses are deducted, but before income taxes and interest are deducted. London Group Realty Advisors based NOI on each property's total assessed value for the 2011 tax year.
CAP RATE: Capitalization rate is a rate of return on a real estate investment property based on the expected income that the property will generate. Capitalization rate is used to estimate the investor's potential return, dividing the income the property will generate by the total value. Based on recent market conditions, London Group's income data for properties listed assumes a cap rate of 6.35 percent.
RBA: Rentable Building Area — Square footage in a building that is available for lease. Excludes areas such as corridors, stairwells and lobbies.
NOI/SF: A property's net operating income, divided by its rentable square footage.
Which of the dozens of gleaming Class A office properties in San Diego County generate the best returns for the owners?
To answer this question, the San Diego Business Journal commissioned the The London Group Realty Advisors, a San Diego-based real estate consultancy, to conduct an exclusive research effort assessing the class A office properties in selected submarkets. Using data from the CoStar Group combined with other industry and public data, the London Group estimated the net operating income (NOI) of dozens of buildings in the region. From that list, it selected the top performers in the downtown, UTC, Carmel Valley and Mission Valley submarkets.
The top performers in each submarket by net operating income per square foot were:
• Downtown: DiamondView Tower with a region topping NOI of $33.70/sq. ft.
• Carmel Valley: One Del Mar, with the second-highest NOI of $30.01/sq. ft.
• UTC: 4225 Executive Square generates an NOI of $24.58/sq. ft.
• Mission Valley: Hazard Center Office Tower with an NOI of $18.51/sq. ft.
These numbers are something of a surprise. As the top performing building, DiamondView Tower — while downtown — was not in the city center where many high-rise office towers are clustered. More importantly, the performance of the region's leading Class A building reflects a unique locational relationship that reinforces the first rule of real estate: location, location, location. In this case, while the building's location is somewhat off the beaten path, neighboring real estate in the form of Petco Park brings unique value that is reflected in the net operating income the building generates.
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Rams Hold on to Advance to ECAC Metro Semifinal's
Farmingdale State - 74, Brooklyn College - 70
Farmingdale, N.Y. - The Farmingdale State women's basketball team advanced to the ECAC Metro Semifinals with a 74-70 victory over Brooklyn College tonight. The Bridges made a 13-point comeback in the second half to take the lead, but the Rams held strong for the win. Farmingdale State will travel to face #2 Lehman, who defeated #7 Old Westbury 83-55 in other quarterfinal action.
After taking a 40-27 lead into the locker room, Brooklyn went on a 12-4 run early in the second to cut the deficit to three points, 48-45. Farmingdale went back up by eight, 53-45, before junior guard Priscilla Ramirez (Brooklyn, N.Y./Franklin D. Roosevelt) hit three straight buckets to spark an 15-2 run by the Bridges, who took their first and largest lead of the night, 60-55.
Rams junior forward Gabby Green (North Babylon, N.Y./North Babylon) broke the run with four straight points to make it 60-59 with 6:54 left on the clock. Sophomore guard Amber Gordon (Brooklyn, N.Y./Bishop Loughlin) made two free throws for Brooklyn to put her team back up three, 62-59.
Freshman guard Shemique Hooks (Westbury, N.Y./Westbury) made a jumper for the Rams, 62-61 with 5:39 left to play. Brooklyn's freshman forward Justine O'Callahan (Floral Park, N.Y./Floral Park) made an easy layup and Gordon sank two more free throws, for a 66-61 lead and 4:52 remaining.
Farmingdale State called up junior guard and Skyline Player of the Year, Kimberly Blakney (Brooklyn, N.Y./Benjamin Banneker), who netted six of the Rams next eight points, tying the game 68-68, with 3:16 showing on the scoreboard.
Eight scoreless possessions later, Brooklyn sophomore guard Ashley Allen (Sunnyside, N.Y./William C. Bryant) hit a free throw to send her team up by one, 69-68, with 1:38 left. Blakney tied the game again with a free throw for the Rams, just 14 seconds later, 69-69, and scored the final six points of the game for Farmingdale, who grabbed the 74-70 win.
Blakney led with a game-high 31 points, 12 rebounds, six steals and three blocks for the Rams, while Green finished with 15 points and 10 rebounds. Junior guard Kamaya Miller (Brooklyn, N.Y./Midwood) scored 12 points.
Ramirez led for Brooklyn with 24 points, nine rebounds, four assists, three steals and two blocks. Gordon finished with 18 points, and sophomore forward Megan Davidson (Brooklyn, N.Y./St. Edmund Prep) grabbed a game-high 17 rebounds.
Farmingdale State will now play at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, March 7th at Lehman College in Bronx, N.Y.


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This is a page to showcase those submitters that have sent in 5 or more strongholds. Click on the submitter's name to see their personal page. If you see any mistakes on your page or you've submitted strongholds under multiple names, let me know in the comments or send me a message and I'll correct it/add a page, but please give me at least 24 hours. This is a manual process and I'm not on the computer 24/7. I usually update posts once per day in the morning (US Central time) unless I have an appointment or am out of town.
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Obama message via aircraft carrier?
President Barack Obama wants to send the message that Washington's budget battle is not "an abstraction" but that it has real consequences, and to do that he's turning to one of the most consequential pieces of military hardware in the arsenal — a 100,000-ton aircraft carrier.
Obama's reported visit to Virginia's Newport News Shipyard next week would take place during the final countdown to the onset of the March 1 automatic, across-the-board budget restrictions, and it would be in a place that has already begun to feel the bite from both the potential automatic $46 billion drop in spending and the lack of a defense budget for this fiscal year.
Story Continued Below
This month, the Navy said it would not issue a contract for the shipyard to begin work refueling and overhauling the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln because service officials could not be confident they'd ultimately be able to afford it. Having that multibillion dollar job in jeopardy risks the jobs of thousands of shipyard workers, officials warn, and delaying work on the Abraham Lincoln also throws a monkey wrench into the schedule for overhauls and other work at the yard.
Newport News shipyard is the only one in the world that can build and overhaul the Navy's nuclear-powered Nimitz-class aircraft carriers, the largest warships ever built. Officials with its parent company, Huntington-Ingalls Industries, previously said the long lead time involved with their work might make them safer than other defense vendors from the early ripple effects of sequestration. But the other of March's twin crises for the Defense Department — the March 27 expiration of the temporary continuing resolution that funds the government — means the military services could run out of money for many programs if Congress extends the CR without accommodating the Pentagon's changing needs.
The Navy says the Abraham Lincoln will remain at Naval Station Norfolk in Virginia until either Congress passes a budget for the current fiscal year or lawmakers fund its overhaul via "anomalies" if they extend the CR. Shipyard officials have urged lawmakers to come through for them.


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Ron Browz (Feat. Maino, Fred Da Godson & Malaika Russell) - Wishing On A Star
Single off the RON BROWZ ETHERLIBRIUM LP.
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Fish are the most varied and diverse backboned creatures on the planet. They range from pregnant males to fish that fly, to those that have a top speed faster than a cheetah -- sailfish.
In this episode, the brightly colored weedy sea dragon's unusual mating and parenting methods are revealed, as is the peculiar convict fish, which shares its network of tunnels with thousands of offspring, who do the reclusive parents' bidding.
In Hawaii, gobies climb waterfalls -- some more than 400 feet high -- using a specialized disc that enables them to stick to vertical rocks. The sarcastic fringehead fiercely defends its territory from octopi and rival fringefish. And Japanese mudskippers spend many of their waking hours out of water -- feeding, leaping and fighting for the attentions of the opposite sex.


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Milla Jovovich Brunette, Curly, Short Hairstyle
Milla Jovovich's hair works well for those with short hair -- no matter if it's curly or straight. Get the look: 1. To get started, apply a texturizing cream to your hair and blow dry straight with a paddle brush. Don't fret if it's not perfectly straight, you're going to curl most of it anyway. 2. Then, with a 1-inch barrel curling iron, curl all of your hair, misting each piece before and after with hairspray. 3. Once hair is completely curly, rake your hands through it a little bit, so it loosens up any ringlets -- you don't want it to be perfectly curly for this look. 4. Then, make a part directly down the middle of your head with a comb, going all the way to the back of the crown. 5. To finish, mist with a light-hold hairspray and add a metallic headband for some extra pizzazz.
Jessica Stroup Straight, Brunette Updo
Jessica Stroup's sexy-yet-casual updo is super versatile for layered haircuts -- wear it anywhere. To steal her look: 1. Work curl-shaping gel through hair and blow dry with a diffuser to bring out wavy texture. Using a brush on your bangs only, sweep them to the side and flip them out.2. Make a deep side part and gather hair into a side ponytail (leave out your bangs). Secure with an elastic.3. Loop the ponytail into a knot and secure in place with bobby pins.4. Pull out a face-framing tendril or two opposite your bangs. Set the look with hairspray. See More Jessica Stroup Hairstyles


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So far this month I've written 26,000 words.
Unfortunately, only 10k of them have been the novel.
The other 16k have been a magazine article and two novellas for upcoming anthologies. I also managed to sneak in a few online interviews.
Am I worried I'll have to shave my curly locks?
A little. Assuming I won't get much done on Thanksgiving, that means I have ten days to write 40k words. That's 16 pages a day. It's doable, but won't be easy.
Which makes this pretty exciting. I'm guessing it will come down to the wire.
Setting goals and challenging yourself, both artistically and with deadlines, is part of being a writer. I think it's a fun part.
The book itself is going well. It's coming together nicely, albeit slowly. I just wrote my first ever sex scene for the series (which is on the kinky side--I think Barry Eisler will approve) and the plot is shaping up to be the most fun of all the Jack books.
Which brings me to the topic of this blog entry: Writing Crap.
It's important to give yourself permission to write crap. Writers write. They get words on the page. Spend too much time thinking, questioning, judging, dismissing, and second-guessing, and you'll never get anything finished.
However, you should NEVER settle for crap.
Though Cherry Bomb is my 6th Jack Daniels book, it's actually my 17th novel. I can say, with some certainty, that my first six novels were crap. Everything since then has, in my opinion, worked. And each book I write seems to come a little easier, involve a little less rewriting, to get it to the point where it works.
So what makes a book work?
It's hard to pinpoint why some novels work better than others. It's even harder to judge your own writing objectively. Obviously, there are craft issues you can be aware of, like narrative structure, rising action, character realism, linear progression, and pacing, among many others, but being aware of them and knowing if they're working in you book are two different things.
However, I believe there's something instinctive, something perhaps even intrinsic to the novel, which can tell the writer if it actually works.
We all have moments when the writing is flowing, the loose ends are all coming together, and we feel that this collection of words and sentences and scenes is coming together as a pleasing, cohesive whole.
Sometimes we're wrong. What works for us actually doesn't work for readers. But sometimes--and I think experience plays a part--we're right, and we can actually feel the process working instead of worrying if its working.
Now there have been intelligent, thoughtful posts all over the Internet this month, about the number of awful manuscripts that NaNoWriMo is going to unleash upon the world.
My friend Marcus Sakey, who is as meticulous with his writing craft as he is talented (which could be a knock, but in his case it's high praise) recently wrote this on The Outfit blog:
Look at it this way: would you participate in National House Building Month if you had to live in the result? Of course not, because a house takes care to build.
I agree. But I also believe if you've been building houses for years, and know what it takes to build a good house, that each one you built can be done better and faster.
Here's the thing though: You don't have to build a house in a month.
Maybe you just build the frame. Or the foundation. Or the living room. Or maybe you do build the house, but it is pretty shoddy. There is no law that says what you build you have to keep. You can change the house, fix it, add it it, make it better, before you move in.
My first six houses were lousy. Uninhabitable. But I learned from them. So when I built the seventh, I got an agent. And when I built the tenth, I got a book deal.
Don't spend your time worrying that your writing sucks. The writing will tell you that later. Or the world will.
You just have to get the words on the page, and trust yourself.
It gets easier the longer you do it.
And it should go without saying that when you do finish that book, don't assume it's ready to submit. Get feedback. Rewrite. Put it away for a month and attack it with fresh eyes.
Your first house may not sell. Your tenth might not either. But you will get better. And in this crazy business, that's all you have control over.
Keep at it. Set goals and reach them. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise.
Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to turn off the Internet, take a handful of amphetamines, and bust my ass.
Happy Thanksgiving.
Monday, November 19, 2007
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