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As a student writer looking for the best essay writing services reviews I was interested in where are they? How do you choose which essay writing service is best for you? There are so many essay writing services that claim to be the best, which is why I set out to test the waters. Below weve tested some of the top best essay writing services across the internet based on 4 main benchmarks: pricing, quality, feedback, and support.
What are the best essay writing services? The top 3 essay providers are – Elance, Aweber, and Proofbook Forum. Each offers a unique set of benefits and drawbacks. Elance is by far the cheapest. Their average price for high quality freelance articles is under $300. This low price entices many new writers to use their online service, as they believe it will give them the best opportunity to make big money.
While they have a cheap price and have many great features, they have a few negative aspects as well. First, their customer service sucks. It took me forever to get an answer to one of my questions and I'm sure it will take even longer to receive a satisfactory answer. Other writers have also complained about long delays in getting their works, as well as having to wait weeks or months to receive their assignments and payment.
Next, we'll compare these top services to one another. So, we'll start by reviewing what is the best essay writing services – Elance, Aweber, Proofbook Forum. Now when it comes to pricing, these are not too far behind. Elance charges about forty five dollars for up to four revisions. For additional revisions you may have to pay an extra fifty dollars.
Aweber rates lower than half of what Elance does, but still about forty five dollars for up to four revisions. They are, however, not the best essay writing services. Aweber offers two different packages: Standard and Custom. The Standard package is basically the same thing that Elance offers, only cheaper. The custom package includes poems, essays, short stories and creative non-fiction material, and can be customized according to your tastes.
The best services I found were those from Proofbook Forum and Aweber. These companies offer more features and resources to writers who need them. Each company also has its own reputation within the industry as well as its own level of competence. If you need a lot of essays, Proofbook Forum and Aweber are probably your best options.
Writers need all of the help they can get when it comes to essay writing services. You can't do any good with your project if you're alone in the process. With the help that they provide, writers can create essays faster and focus on other aspects of their writing. Whether you need one page or ten, you can find the best services from these experts.
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subset: commoncrawl


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|It would be pretty hard to become successful without first developing your self-esteem. But what is self-esteem exactly? Self-Esteem is a feeling of self worth or how much you think you are worth. If you believe that you are worthless, then you have low self-esteem. If you believe that you are priceless, then your self-esteem is through the roof. But how does our self-esteem affect us? If we think that we are worthless, then our quality of work will surely go down, making us believe that we are in fact worthless and we continue to deteriorate. Self-esteem is something that we must develop in order to keep ourselves from sadness and depression. When we fully develop self-esteem, we feel that we can do anything and thus become successful at it. Introducing our Developing Self-Esteem Workshop which enables people who have little or no self-esteem to grow and develop it with others just like them. We work on yourself and fully develop the self-esteem that is waiting to be released. Enroll in our workshop today and see your self worth grow!
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Let's get NAKED!
I've been introducing myself in a myriad of different ways since high school oral communications class. Each time, sharing less, sprucing it up, and sharing more. Being brief, shy, and long-winded when I gained confidence, leaving myself with the desire to share all my accolades, while trying to remain humble in other moments. Nonetheless, the introduction has never been satisfactory. So allow me to RE-introduce myself.
I am Linmary Green, born as Linmary Bernabe.
I'm a proud afro-Latina.
I'm the daughter to two traditional Dominican parents, and the offspring to one Puerto Rican sponsor.
I'm one of 7 children of an eclectic and complicated mixed family.
I'm a 42 year old mother of a 22 year old son.
I'm a wife.
I'm a Public Administration professional.
I'm an advocate; a crisis interventionist of sorts.
I'm a non-profit program creator and collaborator.
I'm a mentor.
I'm a unifier. The community cousin, as I've been so eloquently described by one of my cousins. Staying in touch with as many of the 41 cousins as possible. Always looking for ways to keep the family united.
I'm a former franchise owner.
I'm a spiritual peace seeker.
I'm a nature lover.
I'm a traveler.
I'm an introvert.
I'm a self-care "guru" (I use this term loosely).
I'm a recovered, but still a work in progress, perfectionist.
I am a, learning as I go, Fashionista and somehow I KILL IT every time (or so I'm told).
I'm a foodie.
I'm a reader.
I'm a writer.
I'm a fighter.
I'm a child molestation survivor.
I'm the self-proclaimed black sheep of my immediate family.
I am full of life and wonderfully complex.
I am ME.
All these things describe me in so many ways. Each having an unraveling of mixed emotions, strengths, and distinctions. All which shaped me in to the person I am today.
Over the years, I've been told countless times how my writing has inspired others, how it reaches their soul, how my words are ever so eloquent both in writing as in person, emotional at best and genuine. I've been encouraged to write Hallmark Cards, to start a Blog, to finally get that book published.
Behind the scenes, I'm the go to person for everyone looking for sound advice, an unbiased opinion, for guidance and motivation. The ultimate non-judgmental sounding board.
Since 2007 I've been cracking this door open, attending local writers groups, writing notes, building, and tucking it all away. Life gets in the way, our dreams are put on pause and well… here we are. It's the first scary step to that adventure. Vowing to be as transparent as possible in a safe outlet.
As I embark on this journey to get NAKED and encourage you to do the same through this blog… I hope to provide a space where we can be inspired. A space where we can share incite, encouragement, empowerment, release, and an overall satisfaction that YOU ARE HEARD, and your voice matters.
Let's get started (heart pounding)!
Your Popeye to my Olive Oyl
Welp! Now that we're all acclimated! (Wipes sweat off forehead) Or should I say, now that I bore my soul (ugly cry)… but seriously. I'll admit that was a very freeing thing to do. Once I got over the overwhelming fear and my knees stopped buckling… everything that followed was a cake walk.
That was important for me to do for a number of reasons. I felt it was only right you know what you were getting into (just kidding). I think it's important, to be transparent when you have others looking to you for understanding/inspiration. After all, you would never blindly follow someone would you? In all reality, when speaking of one's truth, it's important for others to know the real you. Having read my "NAKED" blog, would you say you know me better now? I mean, at least know who I am and where I come from right?
You know what those things also say about me? It says, that I've been tested. It doesn't tell you whether I've passed the test. But if you put two and two together one could surmise that I may have made it through it correct? YES! I did. But for the Grace of God. Finding a spiritual place. And that meant just getting in tune with who I really was. Acknowledging that many of those things broke me. Some built me up, but many of them even had me questioning my very existence at times. It was through trial and error that I found my way back. I took steps forward in my spiritual walk, I remained stagnant at times, and I've even opened myself up to other goodness in the Universe. Knowing that there are so many similarities in our faith as in the faith of those who practice Buddhism has been very empowering. (Cue dramatic music here for all my Christian followers). Stay with me. It was meeting these two faiths that helped me overcome many of the trials. It gave me the mental strength to keep on pushing. What sealed the deal for me was reading "The Book of Joy," by His Holiness the Dalai Lama and the Archbishop Desmond Tutu. Whoa! Can you say TRANSFORMATIVE?! They made things all the simpler for me.
I recognized that we complicate things far too much in life. Life is meant to be so much simpler. Our emotions, our setbacks, our "beliefs", our prejudices, and even our biases hold us back from living a rich life. And so, I'm okay displaying my weaknesses. Because it is in that very place that I discovered strength. With the right mindset, you can turn your weaknesses into strengths. This can not only be applied to life, but let's think about that in the aspect of our lifestyles. I've found that most people who have the hardest time getting "fit" struggle mostly due to mental blockage. Once they get over that force-field holding back their best selves, they are amazed at what they can accomplish. I know, I've seen it in the flesh! As Erin Andrews once said, "Admitting our weaknesses does not diminish our strengths: IT SHOWS YOUR COURAGE.
Which brings us to our Popeye & Olive Oyl reference, did you know there's a message there? As a lover of classic cartoons I am intrigued by the meaning behind the development of these comic strips. There's ALWAYS a message. These two characters represent Strength & Weakness. Popeye, always vowing to show his strength to woo Olive Oyl; saving her and impressing her every chance he got with this mighty. Olive Oyl, showing timidity and allowing her prowess to shine even through her weakness. She was painted as "absent-minded, short-tempered, foolish, shallow, inattentive, fickle, demanding, and selfish." She was the damsel in distress character and often blamed others for her own mistakes= WEAKNESS.
What could change in your life if you shattered the wall of weakness? Once you get past the emotional barrier, what can you accomplish?
Bold Stepper
So I think we can totally be best friends now, don't you think? (insert cheesy smile here) I think there's been so much revelation in the last few days that I'm overwhelmed with emotion, but in a good way.
Now that we've come to terms with our strengths and weaknesses, we're ready to take over the world right? NOT! I know it's not that simple. It looks easy… (Ha-ha), but I know it's not. I know this because I, myself, have backslid. I know this because I've done things that I said I would never again do, and yet… I still did them. Yup. I did! And I don't regret it one bit, because I know that's exactly what was supposed to happen. And who am I to interrupt the natural ebb and flow of this world?
I was supposed to stumble. I was supposed to fall. I was supposed to sprain my ankle, and scrape my knee. I was supposed to get stitches. All while people were watching in awe, some sneakily laughing. I was supposed to reopen that wound only for it to be stitched back up and heal again… only this time with a more elaborate and secure stitching. They even tied a bow! Can you imagine? A nice pretty, shiny, turquoise bow just for me.
What are you getting at Lin?! Well, simply that… once you come to terms with understanding that everything you ever wanted is one step outside of that comfy, plush oasis you live your life in, something crazy starts to happen. You become more in tune with your thoughts. You start to acknowledge that although it's the most difficult thing to do, to leave your comfort zone, it is critical to the development of your-SELF to let go of the life you're familiar with and take necessary risks to live the life you've always dreamed about.
So, you got all those injuries, the scrapes, the stitches, the blow to the ego while everyone watched you fall… but guess what you're about to be asked to do? Yup, jump that hurdle once more. But you did this already you say. You know how this is going to end. You're not as limber as you once were. Guess what, not only are you going to jump that hurdle again… but you're also going to be asked to teach others to do the same. What?!? Look at God! This is where they say God has a sense of humor. And boy oh boy… have I laughed a time or two… albeit after I cried…but the laughter felt so much better after that good cry.
So, do as the great Eleanor Roosevelt once said, "Do one thing every day that scares you." Then, do it AGAIN! The latter was all me.
What does stepping outside your comfort zone look like for you? Have you stepped outside your comfort zone before and regretted it? Did it scar you?
Stick like crazy glue!
If you know me, you know I AM NOT A CONFRONTATIONAL PERSON. I repeat, I AM NOT a confrontational person. Where does that come from? There's likely a complex and deep-rooted reason I'm sure. If you recall my "Naked" blog post, you can maybe, somehow, possibly have concluded where that stems from. But, when I say I'm excited about this topic… I say that with every ounce of my being.
See, maybe it's because I'm turning the big 4-0 soon. Or maybe it's because life experiences have molded me into this kick-ass, know my worth, confident warrior. The kind that is not afraid to stand up for herself. Now… let's not get ahead of ourselves. I do still struggle with the need to avoid confrontation some days. But would I really call it a "struggle?" Nah, it's more like a choice. I avoid confrontation now, BY CHOICE. I've learned that my energy is far too valuable to let others get the best of me. I NEED the best of me, why would I give it to someone else?
So, with that said… sticking to my guns has been easier to do over the years. I got tired of giving up. Tired of turning the other cheek. Tired of being taken advantage of. Tired of being treated less than, because guess what, I AM WORTHY. Now, flexibility is also important even while you're standing your ground. Knowing when you're no longer the expert in the subject matter, and when to recognize it's your emotions talking and not your reason… that is essential to effective communication.
I'll tell you one thing I struggled with some years back. Saying NO. Am I alone here? It was the need to be all things to everybody even at the expense of myself. Even though my cup runneth over, I still said, "Yes, I can do that for you!" "Sure, I can swing by after work." "Absolutely, I can help with that!" Meanwhile, I was exhausted. I was overextended. I was putting myself last. Until, during a session with my handy dandy consultant (also code for therapist) she gave me these magical words to recite:
"Oh, sorry (frown), I wish I could. But I can't."
Simple as that! Those 9 words, changed-my-life-FOREVER. It became a running joke to my husband at home. But it was he who drove the point home that I had piled way too much on my plate. You know what happens when you do that? All other things get the least of you. The drained, emotional distraught version of you. You deserve better!
I'll leave you with this powerful statement, "I am forever more than just surviving. This is my life and this life is my DIAMOND." Repeat that day in and day out. I promise you you'll start to feel different and before you know it, you'll have your life back.


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With the familiarity of the word "reshoot" Suicide Squad has, this film takes it to a whole new level. You can dress The Suicide Squad however you like; you can call it a standalone sequel if you like, but let's be honest, this film is a redo. I don't think I've ever heard of a situation in cinema where a film was received so negatively that it had to be reimagined. The common thing to do would be to leave a property on the shelf to gather dust, but DC must have still seen the potential of this licence and have enough trust in James Gunn, who did a magnificent job bringing Guardians of the Galaxy to the mainstream, to realise that potential. So, is it realised? Well, I never had much hate for the 2016 Suicide Squad, honestly, I though in was pretty average, but it becomes pretty clear early on that James Gunn's style has made this film the superior rendition.
James Gunn has had a very exciting twist in his filmmaking career. If there was ever a filmmaker that personified the phrase "fortune favours the bold", he is the one. He's gone from writing the abominable Scooby-Doo live action films to becoming the sweetheart of the superhero genre. Much like how J.J Abrams united Star Trek and Star Wars fans with The Force Awakens, Gunn is now uniting Marvel and DC fans with his fun, relaxing comedic style. Watching Suicide Squad, you can immediately get the sense of a fun filming environment, where everyone was on board with the direction of the film.
My biggest fear with this film came when I saw just how many characters this film was initially willing to commit to. There were so many interesting characters with interesting abilities to juggle around in a two hour screenplay, I think it wasn't too irrational to think that there were way too many to commit too. The Suicide Squad however finds a way to ensure a steady hand with its characters, and the audience will form an unlikely attachment to some thought to be very minor characters. In this case, audiences will absolutely have a warm heart towards Ratcatcher 2 (Daniela Melchior) and King Shark (Sylvester Stallone) because of how impossibly wholesome they are. Ratcatcher 2 is the least villainous of all the villains on display, she doesn't actively seek to bring chaos to people, she is just someone who lost her father, and her army of rats is a reminder of her bond with him, the only glimmer of hope this character has had. King Shark on the other hand is just a charming doofus, and who doesn't love a charming doofus.
When it comes to returning characters such as Rick Flag (Joel Kinnaman) and Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie), you can see that they have much bigger freedoms to portray their characters. Margot Robbie pretty much embodies the clown princess of crime and Joel Kinnaman's Rick Flag isn't the generic soldier stereotype from the 2016 Suicide Squad but instead someone with an actual personality. But by far the most improved upon character is Amanda Waller (Viola Davis) the director of Task Force X. In the 2016 rendition, much like how Rick Flag was a generic soldier, Amanda Waller was a generic government official. However, James Gunn has injected the character with a coldness that has such a presence, her evil could outweigh all the other villains put together. She is single minded who will go down any avenues to blackmail villains into joining Task Force X. To recruit Bloodsport (Idris Elba), she threatens to move his daughter from juvenile hall to the prison where he is being held, where she would most certainly be killed.
Harley Quinn has her own little side story in which we look into her continuation of dealing with the breakup between her and her Mr J. Margot Robbie's passion for this character is possibly the reason why the character has gone through a responsible evolution. From being a manipulated submissive to being independent still chained to tragedy is wonderful to explore. With her side story, we see what she sees. In one sequence the blood of the bad guys is replaced with flowers, showing us the character at her happiest, which also acts as a clever juxtaposition with the violence.
Now this being the superior rendition, you'd think that this film would have washed its hands of all the mistakes made from 2016'S Suicide Squad, but that isn't entirely the case. Bloodsport, although acted amazingly by Idris Elba, is pretty much this film's replacement for Deadshot. He has the same skillset, same backstory, the only thing that changes is the intimidation that Idris brings with his acting.
If you are the kind of person who doesn't like being mislead by a film, The Suicide Squad is your idea of hell. The clue is pretty much in the name, characters are going to die, but what you may not be expecting is how many characters are killed off before you see "Warner Bros. Pictures presents…". James Gunn love to use the old bait and switch technique on his characters, so it's best that you don't have a favourite or you run the risk of being let down. It's pretty amazing how oblivious we can be to the plethora of warning signs this film had put out before it's release to warn us not to get attached to characters.
I feel as though a lot of praise for this film has come about because people are comparing it to the 2016 suicide squad instead of the superhero genre as a whole. But even with that perspective, The Suicide Squad is quite the entertaining film. James Gunn's style incorporates lots of freedom to do things just because it feels right, the chains have been broken on this film and it benefits from having that trust between studio and director. the fun balances out the maturity of the violence and although the film does fall into a few pitfalls of the genre, for the most part, you'll neither care nor recognise when it does because of how much of a blast it is. It feels like a collection of ideas done for the hell of it that have a perfect marriage with each other.
Final Result: 8/10 – Very Good
Have you seen The Suicide Squad? What did you think? Please let me know your thoughts and opinions in the comments below.
Next Time: The Last Letter from Your Lover


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Hello Hello again! I'm sharing another card from the new release at C.C. Designs! I did something a little different this time with the set.
I took the carrot from this set and flipped it OVER. Using the BACK of the stamp, I randomly stamped around my paper using second generation stamping. This is where I stamp OFF of my paper first and then go to my paper. That way it appears lighter. Once I was satisfied I had enough, I flipped the carrot back over, inked it up and stamped on top of my carrot "blob" .. lol .Sorry I don't know what other word to use but "blob".
Next I used the sentiment "Boing!!" and stamped in between the carrots. My bunny I colored up and used the coordinating die for this set to cut him out. For my sentiment, I stamped in Versamark ink, heat embossed with Recollections White Embossing Powder and adhered to the card. I attached my bunny with some foam squares to "pop" him up a little.
Pretty cool right?!
Orange Ink – CTMH
Citrus Leaf Ink – CTMH
Recollections White Embossing Power
Hope you enjoyed today's post!


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Dover Downs turns another modest profit
Dover Downs Gaming & Entertainment on Thursday reported its second-straight profitable quarter, even as its Kent County casino saw a drop off in slot machine revenue.
The parent company of Dover Downs Hotel and Casino reported net earnings of $520,000 from July to September, or 2 cents per diluted share.
The third quarter historically has been the strongest stretch for central Delaware's second-largest private employer. But the profit turned by the company during this year's late summer months marked a significant drop from the same period in 2015 when Dover Downs recorded a take of $826,000 – a decline of about 59 percent.
Dover Downs CEO Denis McGlynn connected the downturn to the state's unwillingness to pass a casino tax-relief bill.
"We continue to do our best with what little the state allows us to retain from gaming revenues," he said in a release. "Despite these limitations, we continue to enjoy excellent customer services ratings and employee morale."
STORY:Delaware jobless rate holds for third-straight month
STORY:Chesapeake Utilities breaks ground on $26M Dover campus
Owners of Delaware's three casinos – including Delaware Park Racetrack & Slots and Harrington Raceway & Casino – have long argued that their ability to turn a profit is being hampered by the amount of revenue being taken by the state.
The state has collected about 43 percent of statewide slot machine revenue since the casino tax was hiked in 2009 during the depths of the Great Recession. That's up from the 36 percent before the increase was imposed.
The General Assembly agreed to spend $9.9 million in 2014 to help the state's three casinos cover their annual payment to slot machine vendors. But legislation to provide permanent tax relief has failed to gain traction as lawmakers struggle with declining state revenues.
A bill proposed by state Sen. Brian Bushweller, D-Dover, stalled in committee this year. Opposed by Gov. Jack Markell, the proposal sought to phase in $46 million in annual relief to the three casinos over four years, while allowing online sports parlays, eliminating table game licensing fees and cutting the state's table game tax.
Any support for the bill disappeared in the final weeks of the legislative session when lawmakers discovered they had nearly $33 million less to spend than previously thought. Now, the casinos face having to convince a new governor and potentially several new legislators of the need for tax relief following the November general election.
"Dover Downs continues to teeter on the edge of profitability and that's not a place any company can sustain for long," Bushweller said Thursday.
Bushweller indicated he plans to again seek relief for the casinos next year, despite recent warnings that the state will have about $167 million less to spend next year without factoring in rising costs for line items such as increased school enrollment, teacher pay increases and rising healthcare costs.
"I believe there is a clear majority in the General Assembly that understands we are trying to wring too much money out of a good source of revenue," he said. "My fellow legislators tell me they agree, but we're broke. I think they're starting to realize if we don't do something about it soon, we'll be a lot broker."
Last year, McGlynn blamed the state's revenue-sharing formula for the company's first annual net loss since adding slot machines in 1996. That full-year loss combined with another in the first quarter of 2015 led the casino to eliminate overnight table games on weekdays and cut 72 positions, or about 5 percent of the company's roughly 1,400 workers at the start of the year.
Since then Dover Downs has turned a profit in five of the last six quarters, with the lone exception coming in the first quarter of 2016. None of those quarterly profits, however, have hit the $1 million mark.
The profit recorded in the third quarter this year came as gaming revenue fell by 1.7 percent to $41.3 million compared to the same period last year.
Operating revenue, meanwhile, rose by 12 percent over the third quarter of 2015 to $5.8 million, a bump McGynn credited to higher food and beverage revenue along with more money from the 500-room Dover Downs hotel. The state's largest hotel recorded an occupancy level of 91.4 percent for the third quarter, down slightly from 92 percent last year. That statistic includes compensatory rooms given to gambler.
Overall expenses at Dover Downs declined during the third quarter to $1.22 million, down 8.4 percent from last year.
Dover Downs stock price closed at $1.15 on Wednesday. That's up nearly 12 percent from late July and 15 percent from a year ago.
Contact business reporter Scott Goss at (302) 324-2281, firstname.lastname@example.com or on Twitter @ScottGossDel.


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Vietnam War; Episode 7 The veneer of civilization and Episode 8 The History of the World
The two episodes are painful to watch because they show the unravelling of civil society in the United States as an exit is sought form Vietnam. Nixon was to call it "Peace with Honor."
The most painful thing for me was to revisit the Democratic Convention in Chicago in 1968. The police riot and the protestor riots sickened me. I had just returned from Vietnam and couldn't believe what I was seeing. I actually called home and told my folks "that at least in Vietnam I was armed and knew who the enemy was."
It was reactions like mine caused Richard Nixon to win the presidency, promising law and order at home and peace overseas. In Vietnam, the war went on and soldiers on all sides witnessed terrible savagery and unflinching courage. The episode is short on highlighting the courage and focuses on the ravages of war. The number of casualties shown and the extent of their wounds was greatly overplayed.
It is interesting that there is no mention of Jane Fonda in the vividly displayed anti-war activities. Hanoi Jane was actually a rallying image for the forces in Vietnam and the veterans. She is still mutually hated by most Vietnam veterans.
Episode 8 focuses on the plummeting morale of the troops in Vietnam. It also argues that the Vietnamese Armed Forces were corrupt, while trying to explain "Vietnamization". Vietnamization was the strategy that allowed President Nixon to begin withdrawing American troops.
The episode paints the incursion into Cambodia as a strategic mistake because of the public debates the rectitude of the war. The My Lai massacre contributes to the renewal of the anti-war excesses.
Since the entire documentary is short of strategic explanations and long on adding to the history of moral outrage at the war it is not surprising that the invasions of Cambodia and Laos are not explained. Their purpose of course was to try and gain time for Vietnamization. It can be argued that in this regard they were a success. I say that while reminding the reader of two things:
- The invasion of Laos was a tactical defeat for RVN
- If the invasion had occurred in 1968, not 1971 the results would have been much different.
The final note that I would add to this discussion is how important Nixon made the return of the POWs. Their health and welfare was a rallying issue for most Americans. Their importance gave the North Vietnamese more leverage in the negotiations.
Part 6 "Things fall apart"
September 24, 2017
This episode covers the time period from January to July 1968.There are really two parts of the episode:
- The Tet Offensive in South Vietnam.
- The political turmoil in the United States linked to the war, the death of Martin Luthur King and to some extent the death of Bobby Kennedy.
The brutal battles of the Tet offensive occurred just two months after Gen. William Westmoreland had assured the press that the North Vietnamese are "unable to mount a major offensive," The presentation argues that American forces were surprised by the scale and scope of a coordinated series of attacks. However, it also quotes several sources as saying that they saw something coming but had not pieced the information together.
The attacks on the eve of the Tet holiday in late January 1968, were intended to cause the ARVN to fall apart and the civilians to turn to support the communists, The surprise attacks on cities and military bases throughout the south, caused the VC and NVA to endure devastating losses but casted grave doubt on President Lyndon Johnson's promise that there is "light at the end of the tunnel." The focus is on the political loss of credibility.
It is interesting to hear President Johnson talk about the lies and misreporting of the main street press. Sound familiar? The press focus was on Saigon. The picture of the Police Chief executing a VC who had just kille3d a soldier and his wife and 4 children dominated the news coverage. (Of course the atrocities committed by the VC are never mentioned.) One of the VC survivors is quoted as saying that they paid a high price for that picture.
The brutality of the Communist Tet Offensive unfolds DAILY on television, increasing opposition to the war. The episode notes that Tet failed Although it fails from a military standpoint but it had a devastating effect on American opinion about Vietnam involvement. We see the entire comme3ntary from CBS News anchor Walter Cronkite, known as "the most trusted man in America," when he expresses his opinion that the war is hopelessly deadlock. "If I've lost Cronkite," Johnson reportedly says, "I've lost middle America."
What is missing from this entire episode is any discussion of the 'agony of Khe Sanh". Khe Sanh is treated as a secondary battle in comparison to the Tet offensive. I have heard this argument before and have tried to put it into perspective using the NVA's own strategy in my book Expendable Warriors: The Battle of Khe Sanh and the Vietnam War.(Pages 135-136). .I spend over a page debunking the side show assertion of the episode. In the conclusion I question the side show assertion by noting that 5000 Marines, Soldier, ARN and Brou Montagnards tied down and ultimately destroyed 2 divisions that could have been used elsewhere. Secondly assert that victory at Khe Sanh or victory in the cities during Tet would have been victory. Finally, I debunk the assertion that Khe Sanh was a diversion by noting that over two divisions were drawn to the Northern Corps and thus were available to counter the attacks on Hue and Quang Tri. These forces did not get involved in Khe Sanh until after the destruction of the Tet offensive communist force and thus the diversion argument fails in the shadow of military reality.
On 31 March President Johnson stunneds the nation by announcing, "I shall not seek, and I will not accept, the nomination of my party for another term as your president."
I argue that it is at this point that the war in Vietnam was lost politically. Johnson had forgone a military victory. Interestingly on the next day, Major Paul Schwartz briefed Major General John Tolson, Commander of the forces that were about to relieve the Khe Sanh Combat base, about the 1st Cavalry Division's next mission to attack the remnants of the NVA who had escaped Hue in the Aschau Valley about 40 kilometers or so south of Khe Sanh. Major Schwartz's concept was to use the Corps sized force that was relieving Khe Sanh and continue west into Laos, turn south on the Ho Chi Minh trail and enter the Aschau valley from the west rather than the east. This would have done several things:.
- Achieved tactical and possibly strategic surprise
- Cut the Ho Chi Minh trail, and
- Used the 90 days of supply that were at Khe Sanh
Tolson interrupted the briefing by saying: "Didn't you hear the President last night? What you are proposing is politically impossible."
The war was to run on for 7 more years when it was virtually won at that point in history.
Vietnam: Part V "This is what we do" (July to December 1967)
This episode has three major thrusts.
The first focuses on American casualties in the Central Highlands and south of the DMZ that divided North and South Vietnam. The DMZ was part of the Paris accords of 1954 that ended the French Indochina war. There is also a discussion of enemy body count. The argument was that demographics argued that the North Vietnamese did not have the manpower to replace their losses.
I have also been a critic of body count as a measure of combat effectiveness and thus a measure that a side was "winning." Body count does not measure will to endure. Many have argued that body count as measured in number of body bags was the US weakness that our opponents discerned coming out of the Vietnam War. Saddam Hussein, in an attempt to deter the US from restoring Kuwait in the first Gulf War, claimed that the US should prepare for many body bags. This weakness came from the weekly body count—US and opponents—that were released by the Military Assistance Command Vietnam.
The second thrust was that body count meant that the US was winning. This is juxtaposed against a belief that all relevant measurements showed that the US won the war before it started.
Third is a teaser for the upcoming episodes as Hanoi lays plans for a massive surprise offensive. What the episode does not reveal is that the fights around Con Thien and the DMZ were really a test by the NVA. The North Vietnamese leadership wanted to verify that the US would not invade North Vietnam. Once assured by the actions along the DMZ they were free to move more than 2 divisions towards Khe Sanh for January 21st attacks there.
If the authors of this series were really interested in a strategic analysis that above would be apparent.
Part IV: Resolve
September 20, 2017
This episode focuses on North Vietnamese troops and materiel stream down the Ho Chi Minh Trail into the south. The flow is uninterrupted by U.S. airpower over Laos.
Meanwhile ARVN struggles to "pacify the countryside." By safeguarding the population in strategic hamlets, increasing the use of popular force units to guard villages and aggressive patrolling. This effort was of marginal effectiveness according to the documentary. This result may not be as negative as the series would have us believe. This will become much more evident a year or so later when ARVN and others do not join the VC during the Tet offensive.
The episode also includes the growing antiwar movement. The authors attribute this to college students who have avoided the draft. This draft avoidance is also allegedly a cause for the force being more and more populated with uneducated and lower intelligence personnel. This is truly a slap at those brave men and women who served.
As the need for more troops for Vietnam increased, draft rules were changing and this further fueled the anti-war movement.
Finally, the episode argues that the soldiers and Marines discover that the war they are being asked to fight in Vietnam is nothing like their fathers' war—mostly World War II. As one of those soldiers whose father was killed in World War II, and who is a student of war. there was no illusion that the war I was fighting was like my father's. However, during the siege of the Khe Sanh Combat Base. I sometimes likened my experience to the trench warfare of World War I.
Part III: The River Styx
This is third in a series of commentary about "The Vietnam War" PBS series airing now. See also my blogs about Part I: DejaVu and Part II: Riding the Tiger.
September 20, 2017
Part III focused on the introduction of US ground troops into the South Vietnam. In doing so it started to lay the groundwork for the eventual disillusionment of the American body politic.
We are introduced to a young high school graduate and his family. We know that in a future part of the series he will be killed and the audience will have had its heart strings played.
What was truly interesting in this almost 2 hour segment was the leadership styles introduced and the emerging critique of President Johnson, General Westmoreland, the Vietnamese leadership and the humble Ho Chi Minh. We learn that there Le Duan, who was the General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam was the driving force behind the aggressiveness of the North Vietnamese. He is credited with advocating the introduction of the North Vietnamese Army into South Vietnam. This is a little known fact.
The South Vietnamese leadership was unstable at best, according to the series. It mentions numerous coups by different military leaders and mentions in particular General Nguyễn Khánh… I mention him because I can remember him being introduced to the Corps of Cadets during lunch in 1964. The US military went out of its way to gain the support of the different Vietnamese leaders.
President Johnson is shown to be much more calculating than is normally the case. He had what became known as the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution that was a blank check for the introduction of ground forces 10 days before the events in the Gulf occurred. He also ordered the introduction of 3 battalions of Marines secretly. There is a brief mention of the 1964 Presidential election where Johnson hammered Goldwater on escalation to include nuclear weapons while Johnson portrayed himself as a reluctant warrior. The opposite of what was to become reality.
LTC Hal Moore and his battalion of the 7th Cavalry and the battle of the Ira Drang Valley are a focus of the study. My friend Joe Galloway talks extensively about Moore's leadership—first into the battle and last out. Unfortunately, one critical event is not mentioned. During the height of the battle of Ira Drang Valley Moore leans against a tree and disconnects from the battle swirling around him and tries to anticipate what he can do to influence the battle 10 to 20 minutes into the future. This is a skill that every leader should seek to achieve. Anticipate what will be needed rather than reacting to the minute.
We can hope that this focus on leadership continues into future parts of the series.
Part III Continued
Why groiund troops? The series gave two reasons for the introduction of ground troops into the Republic of Vietnam (RVN) and the two are actually related.
President Johnson, even though he had won the election 1n November of 1964 was reportedly worried about being humiliated.
The second reason is the pyric victory that the Vietnamese Army won at Banh Gia.
The Viet Cong had launched a major offensive on December 4, 1964 and captured the village of Binh Gia, 40 miles southeast of Saigon. The Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) eventually recaptured the village. It took an eight-hour battle and the reinforcement of the initial assaulting force by three battalions which were brought in on helicopters. Losses included an estimated 200 ARVN soldiers and five American. advisors killed.
Reportedly battles such this, in which ARVN suffered such heavy losses at the hands of the Viet Cong, convinced President Lyndon B. Johnson that the South Vietnamese could not defeat the communist without the commitment of U.S. ground troops to the war. The documentary refers to this as a turning point in the conflict.
The actual turning point occurred several months earlier when Le Duan caused the infiltration of NVA units into the south to increase. It is this infiltration that made the pyric victory possible.
As we continue through the series there will be several other turning points.
Part III continued
This documentary has habit of inserting what appear to be throw away lines except they are value loaded. In this case the idea was planted like gospel that the anti-war movement was legitimate. This concept must be considered as the series develops.
Part II: Riding the Tiger
September 19, 2017
I watched with fascination as the second installment of the PBS Vietnam War "documentary" unfolded last night. The revisionist version of history continued. The "Riding the Tiger" episode dealt with the period 1961-63. With this installment the slippery slope to the eventual withdrawal in 1975 has begun as has the "waste" of lives and treasure.
The attempt to clothe the events of 1961 in new clothes was fascinating. Several theses are advanced: President Kennedy was a "victim" of history. Buddhist monks were continually immolating themselves. The South Vietnamese military were both cowards and incompetent. The Viet Cong and North Vietnamese were great warriors and nationalists. I could go on.
Some historians have argued for the last few years that President Kennedy would never have gone through the build-up that President Johnson did. The one comparison I found truly amazing was the President who was dynamic and went against his generals' advice during the Cuban Missile Crisis followed the generals from a position of not wanting to appear "weak".
This juxtaposition of the President as strong in one instance and weak in another shows the difficulty that historians are having to enhance the Kennedy image in spite of historical reality.
Kennedy went to Texas because he had to enhance the possibility of being re-elected in 1964. His play for the black vote was more of the same. In short, he was a political opportunist. Once the commander in Vietnam announced in 1963 that he could see the light at the end of the tunnel he may well have been appealing to the opportunist President. We will never know.
What we "learn" in this episode is that the United States backed totalitarian leaders and as a result we were doomed to fail. This documentary has not yet addressed the feelings of the many warriors who fought in Vietnam who believe their efforts and sacrifices were for naught.
Without acknowledging those deep wounds, the film's attempts to heal the divisions created by the Vietnam War seem doomed to fail.
Part I: Déjà Vu
September 18, 2017
The Vietnam War, a 10-episode, 18-hour documentary which premiered last night allegedly seeks to correct the record that generations of American have grown up with—a mistaken war that the United States lost. Its press claims that it is also reportedly the deepest exploration of the origins and the fighting of the war. This sets a high bar given the Vietnam War has been one of the most widely reported conflicts in history as it was the first war that was piped nightly into the homes on main street USA. It was here that the war was eventually lost. I'll be watching with interest to see if this point comes home.
In 1961 when I stood on the Plain at West Point to be sworn in as a new cadet the idea that in five years time some of us standing there would be dying in Vietnam was unimaginable. Our class began to be aware of the growing conflict in Vietnam in 1962-63. By the time we graduated in 1965 we had studied the division of French Indochina and many other insurgencies and what had worked for other militaries.
We had attended Ranger School and some of us were parachute qualified. Did this help us in Vietnam? We will comment on that at the end of the miniseries. When the war was over my West Point Class had lost over 30 combat fatalities and we are still counting the losses from Agent Orange and other causes. Will future episodes respect the loss of these great Americans?
The first episode of the new PBS Vietnam War series felt like reliving history through a focus that serves the interests of left wing historians. If the Déjà Vu episode is indicative of the lens of the entire series, it will further antagonize many veterans who are convinced that such historical revisionism disguises the war that was won by their blood sweat and tears and lost due to the efforts of leftist journalists and their anti-war student leftists.
It is this dichotomy of views that the PBS miniseries fails, at this point, to address. To be exact the insertions of body bags into the historical mistakes of the French compounds this image.
North Korea: Next Steps?
As the debate swirls about North Korea's latest shows of force:
- Launching a missile over Japan
- Exploding what may be a thermo nuclear weapon of some size bigger than that used against Hiroshima
There is need to consider the next steps for the west and North Korea. Several weeks ago North Korea seemed to be backing down as its rhetoric and actions slowed after the US show of force. And then last week the US and South Korea conducted the military training exercise that the North had been trying to stop. The training included an attack by B-2 bombers and other aircraft against simulated North Korean targets. This was obviously part of the signaling that the US has been doing trying to deter the North Koreans. It obviously didn't work!
One doubts that UN ambassador Niki Haley's comments that:"We have kicked the can down the road long enough, there is no more road left." Or Secretary of Defense Mattis"s comments that the US can annihilate North Korea will have any effect. Another UN declaration condemning North Korea will also not have any effect.
A UN declaration that any country that trades with North Korea will have all of its trade from the other member nations suspended might be tried. The US stopping $600 billion a year of trade with China would be significant, but is not likely. It would harm the US as much as it might harm China. Conversely, it might create the leverage that President Trump has been seeking in negotiating with China about trade in general. Interesting—the short term pain might be worth the long term gain—increased pressure for China to rein in North Korea and a new trade arrangement between the US and China.
On the military front the US is dropping its limits on the weight limit of South Korean missiles—they will be able to carry more powerful warheads. The Japanese are talking g about pre-emptive strikes against North Korea. We haven't heard a Chinese response to this discussion, yet. (One must remember that the Chinese have said that they would defend North Korea against a US attack, but would not get involved if the North Koreans started a conflict.) Are the Japanese (or the US and South Koreans) trying to provoke the North Koreans to truly step over the line in the sand—whatever it is? What do the North Koreans have to do to provoke the disarming and decapitating attack we talked about in an earlier article?
- Fire missiles near Guam?
- Fire missiles at Japan?
- Take some form of aggressive action towards South Korea?
- Begin the mobilization and readiness enhancement that are necessary on the road to war?
It is interesting to note that there has been no mention of the last bullet above and yet it is the most important indicator that military conflict may be coming. Given the limited transportation and other logistical shortcomings of the North Koreans should they begin mobilizing for war this would be a very critical indicator. One wonders if they could stop the mobilization once it started. (History reminds us that many authors of contended that once the mobilization started before World War I it could not be stopped. "How can I stop if he doesn't?)
The diplomatic posturing will continue as will the threatening rhetoric, but will there be military signaling by missile launches or other activities that cross that mystical line in the sand. That is what we must look for, anticipate and be fearful of. In the meantime the North Koreans will continue to try and be relevant and considered a true international actor.


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Security teams tend to devote a considerable amount of time to investigating warnings that may or may not be "actual" attacks. A false positive occurs when a natural or non-threatening behavior is mistakenly interpreted as malicious. Thousands of warnings may need to be investigated as a result of this.
If your security analysts are actively reviewing false warnings, they can spend a lot of time evaluating false alerts before they can start evaluating legitimate threats. Furthermore, since there is no 'extra' information available about the incoming warnings, a considerable amount of time is spent categorizing them.
Security analysts spend their days in one of the two situations mentioned above. Both of these factors contribute to a delay in response time.
The longer it takes to react to a security-related incident, the more harm it is likely to do. The ability to rapidly assess the degree of risk associated with the indicators of compromise is critical to minimizing such damage—and dwell time (IOCs). One of the fastest ways to evaluate and respond to that risk is by leveraging a security orchestration automation, and response (SOAR) solution with threat intelligence tools that are integrated into your workflows.
Organizations are experiencing more cyberattacks than ever before in today's evolving threat environment, and as the volume and complexity of these attacks grow, the availability of trained cybersecurity specialists appears to be dwindling in a reversing trend. As a result, SOAR technology has matured, and companies are increasingly searching for ways to increase the efficiency and efficacy of their security operations, as well as the overall performance of their security programs.
Response Time Matters a Lot — Why?
Time isn't always on your side, particularly when it comes to threats that move quickly. When observers, on the other hand, are observed consistently delaying answers, the following possibilities arise:
Let's understand this with an example. The following image depicts a typical day of a security analyst:
We now have a good picture of the steps involved in analyzing a single alert, as well as the time it takes to complete each one. Security analysts are also unable to reach the finish line, i.e. responding to warnings, at the end of the day. This is, after all, what they set out to do.
The absence of security automation and orchestration leads to prolonged response time.
For example, where a traditional SIEM could take 30 minutes to investigate an alert, SOAR can reduce that time to just a few seconds. Here's how-
Notice the streamlined approach by a SOAR product to investigate an alert.
How Does SOAR Help?
According to the recent RSA Threat Detection Effectiveness Survey
Here's How SOAR Software Deals With Incidents
Alerts can be sent to SOAR software from a number of platforms and methods, and they can be converted to incidents automatically. Incidents are generated, and data from the originating alert can be used to pre-populate fields. Within a SOAR platform, you can identify incident templates and rules for mapping incidents and extracting relevant data.
One or more Playbooks may be allocated to an incident once it is generated in SOAR. Each Playbook might include manual or automated actions to get the enrichment process started. Automated actions can gather results without requiring human intervention right after the incident is created, cutting down on response time, which is critical in many investigations. Other manual activities can include more detail, by providing further instructions/activities and be delegated to different SOAR analysts.
Automated behavior may also be set up to make changes to the environment in order to contain or mitigate an attack. These activities may be done automatically or after an authorization process in which SOAR asks individual analysts for confirmation before authorizing the operation.
Post-Incident Report
SOAR has the ability to produce reports and a summary of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). Some sections of the final report are automatically generated by SOAR tools, while others can be easily modified as required to ensure that reports can be tailored to the audience (e.g. individual analyst, SOC manager, or C-suite).
SOAR solutions will help an incident management team at any stage of the incident by automating processes and system behavior such as automatically generating incidents, sending specific alerts to analysts involved in the incident or other key stakeholders, and setting appropriate workflows based on the incident that occurred.
These alerts may be sent natively via an in-built messaging service or via an organization's established ticketing system to ensure that dispersed teams across the company receive the most up-to-date and applicable incident details, as well as to aid in accurate evidence preservation.
The incident management team can also be alerted and/or updated with the latest best practices from the Knowledge Base repository, and it can generate personalized reports for each incident as well as customized visualizations of team member responsibilities, all from the Dashboard.
Implement a SOAR Solution Today
Introducing SOAR capabilities to your organization is the first step towards fast decision-making and response. Security orchestration and automation enhance incident response management dramatically, not only by reducing mean time to resolution (MTTR), but also by allowing security teams to focus on more important tasks.
With native automation and orchestration capabilities, Anlyz's SOAR, SPORACT will concentrate team efforts on the most delicate phases of the incident response process, enabling seamless organization and incident response process collaboration. This ensures efficient and effective synergy across each step of the incident response lifecycle, as well as the quickest mechanisms for responding to accidents, minimizing the overall dwell time and potential harm. Contact us to know more about our top-of-the-line, proactive cybersecurity solutions.


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Lazy Lane Colt Brings $125,000
The only Virginia-bred yearling in Keeneland's book one brought a $125,000 bid from Zayat Stables, LLC yesterday. Zayat Stables is the breeder/owner of last year's triple crown winner American Pharoah. The Tiznow colt was bred by Lazy Lane Farms in Upperville and is out of Brookhaven, who is from the family of Life at the Top.
Later in the day: Though not a Virginia-bred, Audley Farm Equine, LLC sold a Street Cry (IRE) filly out of Hazy Glow (IRE) for $320,000 to BBA Ireland.


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This is an excellent post by Alan Kearns which blessed me and I am sure will bless you too. It is full of Godly wisdom and reminded me how important this subject is. I encourage you to prayerfully consider and ask the Lord to speak to your heart through this post. To reveal if there are any unfulfilled vows you may have made or if you have made wrong vows which are affecting your life in ways you may not have realised.
The Lord reminded me of the bible story of Hannah. She was desperate for a child and made a vow to the Lord if He gave her a child. Imagine the consequences if Hannah had not kept her vow and given Samuel back to God when her prayer was answered. We can make promises to God which we then do not fulfil. That has consequences but the Lord in His great mercy forgives us when we acknowledge our wrong doing and repent.
Stones Amidst The SandPhoto courtesy of Nathan Berry, Image Copyright 2022 TakeN Photography. "When you make a vow to the Lord your God, you shall …Is Your Word Your Bond?


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First, I must thank my clients for their patience. I try to get sneak peeks up ASAP, but I made a Thanksgiving promise to my husband to leave my computer at home. Perhaps, the hardest thing I've had to do in awhile 🙁
The break was good because now I feel refreshed and excited to relive the sessions I had before the holiday. This session started off with shivers and chattering teeth, but turned into smiles once the jackets appeared. We quickly learned why getting Christmas pictures done in October is not as silly as it sounds.
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Have you checked out our new podcast yet?
In our third Automotive Cybersecurity Talk episode, we focus on automotive Ethernet. Though it has been around for a number of years, it's becoming more prevalent as vehicles have increasingly complex features and ADAS systems requiring more bandwidth for data transfer.
ESCRYPT experts Ramona Jung, Technical Expert for Automotive Network Security, and Jan Holle, Lead IDPS Product Manager, discuss the need for automotive Ethernet, how it impacts E/E architectures and why securing Ethernet in the vehicle is a critical consideration, one that needs to be done early in the development process.
If you are a vehicle designer or engineer, you are going to want to take 35 minutes to listen to this valuable conversation.
You can find our podcast on the Automotive Cybersecurity Talk website. Current and future episodes will be available on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get yours!


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Today, I wish to bring to the mind of my readers to some few things that I have observed which may be of benefit to this administration. In as much as I am constrained by certain political propensities not to criticize this administration for now consequent upon the fact that it is a new government saddled with too many responsibilities, I'm not however restrained from speaking my mind and giving direction where and when necessary. I am one of the stalwart of the ruling party in Imo state; at the same time, I am representing a different inter-political constituency-Imo youths. Majority of them have called me to complain about the degree of marginalization against them in this administration. Few persons also called and appreciated the governor for remembering the youths in his various appointments.
As the mayor of Imo youths, a position that got the previous administration agitated, I have decided to ask some sensitive questions the answers to which shall consequently help in calming the minds of many. Even if I am in government, I shall always stand for the youths because they made me their spokesman before the 2015 general elections.
In political and sociological theory, the elite are a small group of powerful people who hold a disproportionate amount wealth, privilege, political power or skill in a society; they are more organized and can influence things for themselves and their children. In this context, the elites are our political fathers who have organized themselves to take over power either to enrich themselves and or their family members. In the case of Imo, they are back to add value to this administration. It's a thing of joy that Imo elites are back to add value but in doing so they have also succeeded in replacing their positions with their children. This is because political positions run in their DNA.
The administration of Rt. Hon. Emeka Ihedioha has brought back all those Senator Rochas Okorocha claimed to have retired in politics. Yes, they are back to either assist in contributing to rebuild Imo or rebuild their pockets. I respect a good number of them but I still have my reservations for some few.
When a leader acquires inward peace, the multitude of people around him shall find their salvation. But if the leader lacks peace of mind, the coarseness of everything he does is conspicuous through failure and unpatriotic proclivity.
All through the previous administration of Chief Okorocha, I was so much worried on how the youths of our noble state were negated and treated. Before I continue to express my worries, it is very imperative to accentuate here that we live in a political society that neglects the socio-economic cum political well being of their youths. Why do some of our leaders at federal, state and local levels want the youths to carry arms and engage in violence before any attention could be given to them?
It was Charles Kingsley who says, "Old men make wars – young men die in them." This assertion is absolute owing to the fact that it is the youths that go to war while the old men who caused or created the war stay at home. In any battle field, you can never find any old man; not at all. Young men go to war while the old men sit at home and give direction. In our modern world, it appears the topsy-turvy has become the political case.
Obviously, in our great country the same old men who were at the corridor of political power since 1960 are the same people that are still in power till date. I make bold to ask, where are the strength of the society- the youths? They only remember the youths when there is need to demonstrate against one political enemy or the other. Chief Rochas will understand me better here because he used the youths to accomplish his motives while in office even recently in Imo he did same. How many of Imo youths could thank Chief Okorocha for making them stand well politically?
Why do our various governments find it very thorny to give the youths some political slot? Why do they find it difficult to share their political ticket (for State House of Assembly, Federal House of Representative, Senate and Governorship tickets) among the youths? If truly the youths are in the majority, they should at least have 40% political inputs on any decision that should concern them. Our fathers should not decide before consulting the youths.
Our old politicians should give way for the younger ones, they should advice and maybe direct because I know they have not lost their sense of direction. They should sit at home and watch how the youths will fight to better the economy and politics they have destroyed. Old age is golden, they should not resent growing old rather than resenting they should thank God for it because many have been denied the privilege.
In the words of Prof. Protus Nathan Uzorma, "Old age is a gift from God but maturity is born of experience and virtue measured by everyday conduct." The point here is that both old and young are needed in building a strong political society. According to Lyman Bryson, "The error of youth is to believe intelligence is a substitute for experience, while the error of age is to believe that experience is a substitute for intelligence." Intelligence and experience are necessary to destabilize our political inequality and disparity, when this is done then there will be need to stabilize and consolidate our political strength using the youths. This requires the effort of both old and young. Our old politicians should bring their good experience while the youths should be allowed to bring their intelligence for us to have political strength and maintain equilibrium. It is an abomination for our political fathers to think they could do it alone.
The old politicians should not think the youths are not wise enough to see all that they are doing to our future. Today, our old men could talk of the good old days but the youths of this era cannot talk of the good old days when we are old because it was destroyed by our fathers. What an abomination! If our old political fathers are matured as they claim, they should then reason with us-the youths and give us our own quota. It was Fred Smith who says that "maturity doesn't come with age; it comes by acceptance of responsibility." They should accept involving the youths in the political process and see it as a responsibility that will bring about transformation. It is our future that we are talking about here and we are all critical stakeholders.
In Igbo cosmology, there is respect for elders and parents themselves cherish their children so much that they give them beautiful names that show their values for children, such names are: Nwaka ego- a child is more precious than money, Nwajindu- a child sustains the life of parents, Nwabugo- a child of glory, to mention but a few. For the Igbo man, children are priceless possessions and no family will be happy without a child. Again, it is the duty and responsibility of any parent in Igbo society to pray that his child should be greater than himself.
If a true father prays and wishes his son or daughter to be greater than him, what is happening now in our political society is a profound topsy-turvy of our traditional values. The political class, the elites, has refused to give us ladder to climb as to be greater than them. Their philosophy is to create scarcity and lack among their children so that in any election period they will then open their hands with little money to empower the youths in order to be voted for. What an abomination! Are our fathers not watching us die as a result of what they put us into? Are our fathers not sending us to carry ballot boxes for them during election? Are they not the ones we are dying for from time to time during any election? Is it not an abomination for a father to watch his child die while he is still alive in Igbo land? Something must be done soon!
The above is not in line with our orientation and traditional norms. Some of these politicians have expired and do not have anything to contribute in the advancement of our society in line with the principles of social and political dynamism. The society is growing so fast and they have been caught up by the psychological philosophy of diminishing return which is natural politically. Some of them have taken their slot in 1960 took it again in 1970 continued in 1980. Some joined in 1980 to 1990 continued to 2000 and now still want to take it again in 2023, is it morally right? Our elites, where are your children – the youths? Why have you decided to punish them as if they are not part of the society?
The youths are at the receiving end of all good and bad political policies. Yes, in Imo state just eight years ago, many abominable things happened. Some of our elites were very quiet while few of them praised Chief Rochas and called him all manner of names. Some youths died and few were wounded for fighting the right course for Imo people.
Let me at this point emphasize that we the youths in Imo state are not against the elders and our political fathers, but what we are against is the fact that they have continued to neglect us and treat us the way people treat lawyers. Yes, humans only remember lawyers when they have problem. Our political fathers and leaders of today only remember us when there is need. They use us and dump us. Let us be part of the desired change


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Rosario Dawson is a mom. That was a shocker, right? Since we never saw a baby bump! Well, reports indicate that the actress adopted a daughter earlier this fall.
That's so sweet, especially since the new addition to her family is not an infant, but a 12-year-old.
Sources say that the Sin City star, who was adopted herself at the age of one by her own stepfather, is family-oriented, which is sort of obvious.
The lovely and talented (and single) Dawson has joined the celeb brigade of adopters. Her story is unique in that she adopted an older child, which is equally as awesome since there are so many kids of all ages that need and deserve loving homes and dedicated parents.
Lots of celebs have opened their homes and their hearts to children in need. Some have added adopted children to their own biological broods, while others have adopted because they simply felt that it was either the right thing to do or because they weren't leaving things up to nature. Some adopted their additions with their spouse or with their significant others, while some adopted as single moms or dads.
Whatever the case or personal instance, celeb adoptions are always heartwarming! These are 15 celebs who have adopted!
Photo: We Heart It
Connie Britton
1. Connie Britton: The Nashville star adopted her son Yoby in Ethiopia.
Photo: IMDB
Meg Ryan
14. Meg Ryan: Also America's Sweetheart, Ryan was already mom to her biological son Jack when she adopted daughter Daisy from China. It was a deliberate decision, according to Ryan, and she knew as soon as she saw Daisy's face that they were meant to be together. Aw!!
Photo: IMDB
Charlize Theron
13. Charlize Theron: The Oscar-winning actress adopted her son Jackson while single at 36. The role of mom agrees with the stunner, who is now dating Sean Penn.
Photo: IMDB
Hugh Jackman
12. Hugh Jackman: Wolverine and his wife, Deborra-Lee Furness, adopted son Oscar and daughter Ava, and they are are a happy family!
Photo: IMDB
11. Madonna: The pop diva adopted son David and daughter Mercy from the impoverished African nation of Malawi, expanding her brood, which includes firstborn daughter Lourdes (or Lola) and son Rocco.
Photo: IMDB
Kristin Davis
10. Kristin Davis: We loved her neurotic portrayal of socialite-turned-mom Charlotte in the Sex and the City series and films. The talented and beautiful actress adopted her daughter Gemma Rose domestically in 2011.
Photo: IMDB
Tom Cruise & Nicole Kidman
9. Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman: While married, the former supercouple known as Tom and Nic adopted daughter Isabella in 1993 and son Connor in 1995. While his daughter Suri Cruise is a favorite media topic (and target), the actor has said he sees no difference between Isabella, Connor and Suri and they are all his own.
Photo: IMDB
Calista Flockhart
8. Calista Flockhart: TV's Ally McBeal was both single and was in the room when adopted son Liam was born. She is now wed to Harrison Ford aka Hans Solo aka Indiana Jones.
Photo: IMDB
Sharon Stone
7. Sharon Stone: The sexy star has adopted three sons — Roan, Laird and Quinn—over the years. Hot mama.
Photo: IMDB
Rosario Dawson
6. Rosario Dawson: As noted, the actress adopted a 12-year-old daughter while single.
Photo: IMDB
Mary-Louise Parker
5. Mary-Louise Parker: The Weeds star has a biological son with actor Billy Crudup, but in 2007, she also adopted a daughter from Ethiopia in Africa on her own.
Photo: IMDB
Sheryl Crow
4. Sheryl Crow: The singer adopted both of her sons, the cooly-named Wyatt and Levi!
Photo: IMDB
Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt
3. Angelina Jolie + Brad Pitt: Brangelina have biological kids: daughter Shiloh and twins Vivienne and Knox. But they adopted Maddox, Pax and Zahara, with Pitt legally adopting them after Jolie initiated the adoptions. They are the biggest and happiest brood in Hollywood.
Photo: IMDB
Katherine Heigl
2. Katherine Heigl: The beleaguered and bad reputation-ed actress adopted daughters Naleigh and Adalaide in South Korea with musician hubby Josh Kelley.
Photo: IMDB
Sandra Bullock
15. Sandra Bullock: American's Sweetheart secretly adopted her son Louis in 2010. She started the process with then-hubby Jesse James, but their marriage crumbled days after she won her Oscar when it was revealed he cheated on her. She ditched and divorced James and dedicated herself to her baby boy.
Photo: IMDB
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One thing Record of Youth did convey realistically is that K-ent is always primed for the next big thing, and in some ways retaining success is even harder than that serendipitous big break which feels in some way like luck. It's safe to say K-actor Lee Do Hyun is one of the breakouts of 2020, like last year we had Jang Dong Yoon, and the two young actors actually have similar vibes. Very boyish features but conveys a surprising gravitas onscreen. 18 Again is an ensemble drama through and through and I don't want to trumpet Lee Do Hyun over his veteran costars who were excellent and we expected it, but he was given his biggest role yet and the results were not a given so his success is all credited to his stepping up. I wish I could rewrite Hotel Del Luna fan fiction and give Man Wol and Chung Myung their happy ending, it still eats at me all thanks to his smirk and the way he called her little sister.
Lee Do Hyun Wraps Up 2020 on Career High Note with Indelible Performance in K-drama 18 Again — 5 Comments
Handsome and talented to boot. I'm so grateful to '18 Again' for introducing me to this amazing man/actor. So looking forward to his next project!
He's so handsome and talented. I was really rooting for his character in Hotel del Luna as well, and now in 18 again, he's proven that he's got quite the on-screen charisma. I heard his role model is Ju Ji Hoon. He's got great taste.
i've just started watching Hotel Del Luna bcos of LDH … just want to see more of him on screen. Real talent
I want to be partner of LEE DO HYUN of his new UPCOMING 2021 Korean drama IS ACTRESS YOON EUN-HYE OF COFFEE PRINCE. AND LEE MIM HO in City Hunter
His the next big thing! Handsome and very good actor. ?


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Something was off when the Baltimore Ravens took the field for the divisional round of the NFL playoffs on Saturday. It was almost as if the Ravens were … cursed.
Perhaps they were.
(Cue the boogeyman voice.)
Quarterback Lamar Jackson, the favorite to win the NFL MVP, threw ducks and misfires in the passing game along with two interceptions. The Ravens' impressive defense, meanwhile, could do little to stop Titans running back Derrick Henry, who had 195 rushing yards at 6.5 yards per carry. He added a passing touchdown on a trick play for good measure. Quarterback Ryan Tannehill, who threw just 14 passes on the evening, had two touchdowns.
Ravens safety Earl Thomas joked the Drake curse got to Baltimore after the game.
Indeed, Drake wished Jackson a Happy Birthday in the days leading up to the playoff game. In his Instagram story, he had a few birthday wishes: "more life happy birthday @new_era8!!!"
We thought the Dark curse was over. After all, Drake's Toronto Raptors won the NBA Finals last season after a stunning set of performances from Kawhi Leonard. But he's got a long history of rooting for a losing team. His fandom is a kiss of death. Even when he wore a custom shirt for all four teams in the NFC and AFC championships, no team won in regulation. Both games went into overtime. It was too perfect.
All the football teams still playing — whether college or pro — should so their best to steer clear of Drake. Perhaps the curse is back on.


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I usually love Monday mornings. They are my favorite part of the week because they offer a fresh new day and new week filled with possibilities. I'm not feeling the love today. My sinuses are continuing to throb and 20 minutes with Deepak Chopra wasn't enough to lift be out of my slump. And, there's all that's happening around me.
Wading in the blues amplifies my solitude. I've had my moments where I've pulled up a protective blanket and withdrawn even further from the world. I say that not to build concern. I'm blessed in many ways including being able to know when I need to step back and in being able to quickly recover. I can catch my breath and move on. I know there are so many others who are in much worse shape and with no blanket to pull up, an no breath to catch.
As many places of employment are doing, mine is also planning a come to Black Jesus moment of open conversations around race. It's not much of a moment, however when all people of color are called together with no White people in positions of power present. We black and brown people already know!!
I think about the state of children's literature right now.
There are all these requests for lists of books by and about African Americans. People want lists given to them of titles they could easily find in bookstores and libraries. People are looking for books that have always been available for years. How deep is the commitment to anti-racism when someone wants a list of books someone else curated for them? Of course there are times when lists shorten our search for just the right book, but we're at a point where we have to realize the importance of getting up and doing some work and particularly not relying on Black people to do it. With so many White women gleefully sharing the list I created specifically for Black children, it seems people are snatching up lists and spreading them around to show how connected they are. I didn't create a list for that to happen. Black children don't need what Latino, Asian American or White children need right now. How can literacy leaders work with so little empathy?
Anti-racism, after all, is a verb. It's the action of doing the work of finding, reading and sharing anti-racist books. You may not consider yourself a racist. You may have friends or co-workers who are… you may have grandchildren who are… you may have read… and you may even donate to… But, anti-racists did the work to understand systemic racism. They can name it and call it out. Anti-racists aren't afraid to give up an opportunity to a Black or Brown person. Anti-racists will talk about racial issues with their White friends. Anti-racists will work for change.
People and industries who are not racist have been issuing statements declaring that Black lives matter. Come Monday morning, if they're anit-racist they're re-examining the policies and procedures by which they operate. They're making sure they're listening to Black people around them and determining which policies are oppressive and unjust. How will they enact anti-racism? For years we've asked for increased representation in children's books, for more marginalized people as authors, illustrators, editors, agents and art directors. The numbers barely increased.
What is being done to sustain the careers of authors and illustrators of color?
Where's the pay equity?
What inroads have been created to move marginalized people into decision make positions in publishing house and journals?
How are Indigenous people and People of Color being nurtured to work as reviewers?
COVID-19 has emphasized the need for improved access to ebooks. Educators at all levels are struggling to find ways to make books available to students who will again be confined to working at home. What access to books will there be for these students as well as those with no internet access? What will be available for them to read?
I'm sure publishers are already racing to develop projects about all the issues of the day that are facing Black people in particular. I sincerely hope they're developing projects to memorialize Sandra Bland, Ahmaud Arbery, Trayvon Martin, Tamir Rice, Michael Brown, Eric Garner, Philando Castile, Breonna Taylor and George Floyd as well as projects that delve into imperialism, economic inequity, policing in the United States and systematic racism. But, they should not profit from these stories. Publishers who have done such a poor job of listening to marginalized voices should not profit from these particular stories that exist because of an unjust system in which they are complicit. Let's call it reparations.
Black librarians, educators and authors have actively worked for better representation in books and in publishing for over 100 years. If you do the work, if you find and read the articles, you'll find that the stated demands have not changed in those 100 years. We talked about dehumanized images of young Black children in picture books while young boys in times when Black boys and girls were hunted down for not moving off the sidewalk, failing to say "sir", swimming in the wrong corner of the lake or looking at a white woman.
Children's books are steeped with implicit messages of power and race. I write about the ways they equate Blacks with monkeys. But messages about racism abound. Just last week, I received a cute little book, My Best Friend by Rob Hodgson. (Frances Lincoln Books, 2020) in it, a little mouse shares how much it likes being friends with an owl. Being such a cute, trusting, naive little white mouse, it doesn't realize that this large, dangerous and conniving black owl is a threat to its existence. Even this cute story embeds racist lessons with the purity of the white character threatened by the dangerous of black one. This may seem innocuous, but when white as 'good' and black as 'bad' continues across media in the US, we realize this is the colorism that endangers Black lives. This colorism bleeds into the adoration of Kerry Washington and Kamala Harris over Stacy Abrams and Viola Davis.
Children's publishing has got to recognize how it uses unconscious bias to perpetuate systems of racism through its policies and practices as well as in the content it produces. It's not the only industry that embeds racism in its practices; libraries and universities do it, too. Each of these institutions reaches into tomorrow and each needs to be held accountable today. And, each needs to be human, to reach out to its employees and take a temperature check. Enact a little humanity and just listen. Hear Blacks who are trying to breathe and hear Whites who are trying to wake up. There's a lot of pain out here. We're severely lacking in leadership and we really need to know someone cares.
It's Monday morning and we're facing a new day, a new week of possibilities. My sinuses are still throbbing, but now, my bathroom is clean and this post is done. Forward motion is my only option.
Provided this Monday, and everyday, with no profit.


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Development renal cell carcinoma (RCC) in patients on long-term dialysis is associated with older age, male gender, acquired renal cysts, and end-stage renal disease caused by obstruction, tuberous sclerosis, and focal segmental glomeruloscerosis (FSGS), according to a study published online in Urology.
Rahul M. Jindal, MD, of Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, DC, and his colleagues analyzed data from the United States Renal Data System (USRDS) to determine the incidence, risk factors, and prognosis of RCC in a national population of patients receiving incident long-term dialysis. The researchers identified 495,604 Medicare primary dialysis patients from January 1, 1997 to June 30, 2005. A total of 6,132 patients were diagnosed with RCC during the study period.
In adjusted analyses, male patients were at 63% increased risk of developing RCC than female patients. Acquired cysts and tuberous sclerosis were associated with 4.0 and 4.8 times increased risk of RCC. Obstruction and FSGS were associated with a 45% and 85% increased risk, respectively.
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In addition, RCC risk increased with increasing age. For example, compared with patients aged 1-10 years, patients aged 41-50, 51-60, and 61-70 were at 5.8, 8.3, and 11.8 times increased risk, respectively.
Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease, dialysis modality, and smoking were not associated with post-dialysis RCC.
Noting that most cases of RCC diagnosed were not associated with documented acquired renal cystic disease, the authors wrote that "a screening strategy based on the presence of preexisting cysts would miss the vast majority of new cases of RCC in this population."
Moreover, RCC was independently associated with increased risk of mortality regardless of subgroup. "This challenges the assumption that RCC is often an incidental and benign finding in this population," the researchers concluded.


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31,000 dine-in restaurants globally – a tenth of its existing location
'Globally, we're taking 100 new steps to connect with our customers better, but we're not stopping there. For example, in 2021, McDonald's will be among the first restaurants in the world to offer fully autonomous ordering, letting our customers express their orders, choose their pick-up time and place them anywhere without a wait.'
Faster grab and go, service you choose, from anywhere. As part of this, the McDonald's Experience of the Future at Cambridge will provide a secure platform for the home delivery of menus, from the three-dimensional printed, 4D Print mobile kiosk to the linked AI kiosk. It will offer computer vision from the biometric sensors, Wi-Fi access, Google Assistant integration, fingerprint access and a self-declaration function. For me it will be fascinating to watch our future smart technology develop.
But what's in it for me? While I am in need of about £10,000 for my quick service McDonald's, there are also paper cheques to pay for past orders and VAT. And while they pride themselves on fresh, quality ingredients, what about the chicken (which must be imported from outside the EU)? And the taste of meat tastes better cooked at home – would people be willing to pay more to be entertained for longer?
But while they brand themselves as a place to enjoy fast food with family, friends and – hopefully – the company is part of our family. My next order is free delivery!
James Goss, real estate advisor, Oxford
Tenacity and experience are good reasons to trust a firm
Merrill Lynch has announced that it is considering separating part of its UK banking business from its international operations. This would make sense for Merrill Lynch, in my view, given the considerable outflow of EU-based customers since the UK referendum. However, the proposal has attracted the backing of numerous voices, including charities, aid organisations and trade unions.
In many ways the proposal is a symptom of the maturity of charity finance – a changing market that is responding to the customers it services, making each new partnership more meaningful. However, it's important to maintain trust in charities and trust is a key driver of charitable giving. In this case, members have a great opportunity to ensure that the (hopefully successful) splitting of the division is supported by an outpouring of support.
Simon de Brown, CEO, Shelter
Insight on our global mission
A minority of staff at Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) are flying the flag for equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) as they test a pilot pay program that sends bonuses directly to employees' bank accounts.
There is greater recognition of the benefits of such measures across global business, but it was impressive to see how much JLR values the importance of equal pay and inclusion when it is working on shaping its own businesses. I think this is a strong statement for our economy and economy of the future.
Gavin Woodhead, inclusion and diversity manager, Bridgwater and West Somerset borough council
Only 3.3% of beneficiaries are from a black, Asian or minority ethnic background
The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) has published the UK's first negative ethnic minority census. Almost half of the survey's 2,112 respondents said that 10% or more of households in their area do not have a single person of colour living with them.
As well as reflecting what goes on in society, this must also be an indicator of the quality of services delivered in the UK, as we all pay for them. Every pound lost to inequality undermines our economy and our society as a whole. We can only hope that this will be a wake-up call for those behind these findings, and get them to act.
Professor Anna Bowes, deputy chief executive, OHR
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Joan Collins To Star In Badly Drawn Boy Video
Shooting Badly Drawn Boy's new video was a real bitch, just ask the clip's star.
Eighties primetime drama queen Joan Collins, who counts 1979's "The Bitch" and 1976's "The Bawdy Adventures of Tom Jones" among her film credits, will appear in Badly Drawn Boy's video for the single "Spitting in the Wind," according to a spokesperson for Damon Gough, the one-man force behind Badly Drawn Boy.
Gough plays Collins' guardian angel in the video, which was scripted with the former "Dynasty" star in mind. It was the ski-capped British balladeer himself who approached Collins and asked if she'd participate in the tongue-in-cheek depiction of her glamorous persona. Shot two weeks ago in a Danish castle, the short was directed by Garth Jennings of the video production team Hammer & Tongs (Oasis, Blur) and is the 67-year-old Collins' music-video debut.
Incidentally, BDB's third single from his Mercury Prize-winning debut album, The Hour of Bewilderbeast, is listed as "Pissing in the Wind," on the record sleeve, but the track was re-recorded with a tamer metaphor for radio airplay. The single will be released April 30 in the U.K., while a U.S. release date is still being settled on, Gough's spokesperson said.
Meanwhile, Gough, known for his finicky and somewhat dramatic performances, will launch a North American tour beginning April 26 in Montreal (see [article id="1440946"]"Badly Drawn Boy Sketches Out Spring Tour"[/article]).


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Review of Guillermo del Toro's Pacific Rim
At first glance, Pacific Rim seems like a shallow film with paper-thin characterisation and performances from a Wing Commander cut scene; all this can make it hard to see the film as anything other than an overgrown cartoon. Fortunately, what the film lacks in those areas it more than makes up for with gristly, weighty action, a coherent and interesting world, a great, memorable score from Ramin Djawadi and a unique and beautiful palette. →
Pan's Labyrinth
I want to make something clear right at the start: I do like this film. I want to make that fact clear now, because I'm concerned that what I'll go on to say will give you the wrong impression; that I don't like the film, or that I'm just trying to be contrary in the face of overwhelmingly positive reviews. It is a good film and I did enjoy it and I can't really fault it. And yet... →
Hellboy has now joined my collection of films that are based upon comic books which I've never read. It joins Daredevil, Hulk, The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, and, er, Supergirl. Now, there's a line-up!
Compare it with my list of films that are based upon comic books that I have read; X-Men, Batman, Spiderman---a smaller collection, but one with significantly better films (discounting Joel Schumacher's efforts, of course). Will Hellboy stand with pride in the latter collection, or will it shuffle it's feet quietly with the flawed/awful works in the former?→