text:
Plagiarism and Fraud in George W. Bush's Foreign Policy
Rebecca Moore Howard
Syracuse University
The United States is a nation obsessed with facts. We are daily barraged with random facts that we cluck over and gobble up. Witness the quotidian lower left-hand corner of USA Today, page one: On August 2, 2004, the USA Today factoid (aka "snapshot") told us how many electoral votes George W. Bush received in 2000 that in 1996 had gone to Bill Clinton. The next day, the factoid alerted readers to how many people in the U.S. had been annually killed by lightning during the past five years. Just how random those USA Today factoids actually are is questionable. While the lightning factoid does indeed seem to be a bolt from the journalistic blue, the electoral vote factoid comes at the bottom of a page that trumpets John Kerry's failure to get a post-convention "bump."
Despite the seeming availability of information and the public's seeming hunger for it, U.S. voters and legislators do not necessarily insist that arguments be backed by facts. In American political decisions, facts are unmoored from claims. To decide an argument, it seems, all we need is ideology. And that collective failing has enabled George W. Bush to use forged data and plagiarized documents to justify the invasion and destruction of a sovereign nation, with the support of the people of the United States. Michael Moore, in Fahrenheit 911 and Dude, Where's My Country?, argues that this president has pursued a military course for financial gain. Al Franken, in Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them, points to the lies about uranium purchased from Niger for alleged Iraqi weapons of mass destruction, lies that the President used to justify an invasion. On 26 May 2004, Al Gore dissected the ways in which Bush's claims of success in Iraq are contradicted by the facts and by the interpretations of military and diplomatic experts. The Washington Post examines the possibility that the most recent terrorism alert was based on stale data and was manufactured to counterbalance the effects of the Democratic National Convention; Howard Dean questions the motivations behind the terrorism alerts; and blogger Julius Civitatus graphs the relationship between terrorism alerts and Bush's popularity. On 4 August 2004 the Independent of London reports on the "dirty" campaign tactics that Republicans are readying to counter Kerry's candidacy. The next day, CNN.com reports John McCain's condemnation of an anti-Kerry ad: "I can't believe the President would pull such a cheap stunt."
I'm a rhetorician with expertise in plagiarism, research, information literacy, and the ethics of argument, and from that base, I offer additional information about and interpretation of the Bush administration's construction of national emergency and foreign policy. My focus is on the forged, falsified, misrepresented, and plagiarized documents that have been adduced in support of Bush foreign policy. In addition to what has already been established by other observers, Bush's misuse of texts confirms that his arguments are ideologically rather than factually based, and that he is unscrupulous in pursuing them. George W. Bush seems willing to go to any length to achieve his goals, and those goals are too often in his own interest and not that of the country that he is expected to serve—much less the world in which his country does, indeed, wield dominance. Foreign policy in the Bush presidency is advanced through a variation on what public relations experts call "astroturf" campaigns—in which "research" is manufactured in support of ideologically based claims that serve the interests of the President and his corporate allies. The combined efforts of the British and U.S. governments on what came to be known as the "dodgy dossier" illustrate the method.
Actually, there were two of them—two dossiers produced by the British government that purported to be intelligence reports and that raised questions about their fundamental integrity. Here I will focus not on the first dossier, from 24 September 2002 (but which has been "updated" as recently as 8 May 2004), used by the U.S. to justify attacking Afghanistan, but on the second—the one that U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell cited in his argument to the U.N. Security Council on 5 February 2003, the argument in favor of making war on Iraq.
On Monday, 3 February 2003, the British government posted "Iraq—Its Infrastructure of Concealment, Deception and Intimidation" to the 10 Downing Street website. The dossier purported to provide intelligence data supporting a hostile stance toward Iraq. The decision to write this dossier had been made when little time remained before Hans Blix, United Nations chief weapons inspector in Iraq, would make a crucial mid-February report to the U.N. In its previous (and controversial) dossier on Iraq, the British government had made some extravagant claims but had consigned them to the introduction authored by Jack Straw, the British Foreign Secretary. "But when it came to the [3 February] document," the Manchester Guardian would later observe, "there was no time for such niceties."
By the next night, Tuesday, 4 February, the shortage of "niceties" in the new Iraq dossier was being detailed in a three-page email circulating among some anti-war academics and described by the Guardian:
Full of academic outrage, [the email] explained how the so-called "secret spy dossier" published . . . by the Government as a crucial plank in the argument for why the West should go to war was largely cribbed from an American postgraduate's doctoral thesis—grammatical mistakes and all—based on evidence 12 years out of date.
And, to cap it all, the finished document appeared to have been cobbled together not by Middle East experts, but by the secretary of Alastair Campbell, the Government's chief spin doctor, and some gofers.
It is no surprise, then, that when the email from Glen Rangwala—a 28-year-old Cambridge politics lecturer who stumbled across the plagiarism when he was sent a copy of the dossier by researchers in Sweden—reached two teenage Cambridge students they decided it deserved a wider audience.
One, 19-year-old Daniel O'Huiginn, forwarded the email to journalists.
The 4 February email names four authors of the 10 Downing Street dossier: "Paul Hamill, a Foreign Office official; John Pratt, a junior gofer from Number 10's Strategic Communications Unit; Alison Blackshaw, Campbell's PA; and Mustaza Khan, another official working under Campbell." But in fact Campbell himself edited the dossier. Campbell, it is important to remember, used to be the Prime Minister's Official Spokesman and was now Director of Communications and Strategy. Not a member of British Intelligence. The London Independent charges, "So desperate were Mr. Blair's aides to prove the case for war they published an outdated thesis by a postgraduate student and presented it as contemporary intelligence material. The Government's junior spin-doctors have been let loose on a matter as serious as war."
The next morning, on Wednesday, February 5, U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell appeared before the United Nations Security Council: "I asked for this session today for two purposes. First, to support the core assessments made by Dr. Blix and Dr. El Baradei. . . . My second purpose today is to provide you with additional information, to share with you what the United States knows about Iraq's weapons of mass destruction, as well as Iraq's involvement in terrorism. . . ." Presumably unaware of the plagiarism in the British document, Powell alluded to its support for his case: "I would call my colleagues' attention to the fine paper that the United Kingdom distributed yesterday which describes in exquisite detail Iraqi deception activities."
On that same morning, says the Guardian, "[T]he BBC's Today programme started broadcasting the contents of a classified defence intelligence briefing warning bluntly that there was no link between Iraq and al-Qaeda—there had been contacts in the past but, as a secular state, Iraq was anathema to the fundamentalist terror group—ears pricked up all over Whitehall." As the Guardian describes the BBC's assertions, it also explains their significance: "An unprecedented leak, it was immediately interpreted as a warning: if Blair continued to imply, in the teeth of the evidence, that there was some kind of connection between Iraq and al-Qaeda he would not be able to get away with it."
On Thursday, 6 February, commentators who were also presumably unaware of the allegations of plagiarism in the British document debated the trustworthiness of Secretary Powell's address. Those criticizing it complained of a paucity of evidence for Powell's case against Iraq, urging the United Nations to support war. In a WorkingforChange article reprinted on AlterNet, Geov Parrish observed, "Powell's evidence rests primarily on two assertions: that Iraq's government cooperates with Al-Qaeda, and that it has also sought to hide evidence from U.N. weapons inspectors." Parrish continues,
There is still absolutely no evidence that the Iraqi government, now or at any foreseeable point in the future, poses a security threat even to its immediate neighbors – let alone to the United States, halfway around the world. There is no evidence that Iraq, a country whose military is a fifth of its size ten years ago, a country crippled militarily (and in many other ways) by the most rigorous sanctions in world history, a country whose every move is closely monitored, a country which knows that any aggressive twitch would be instantly suicidal, now even possesses the capacity to inflict harm on any other country – let alone is a threat to do so, and let alone that the United States is among those threatened.
Writing for The Nation, editor Katrina Vanden Heuvel went further, pointing out not just a paucity of evidence in Powell's argument but also asserting that some Powell's claims had already been invalidated by Hans Blix.
Published on the same day is a contrasting piece in the Miami Herald that began, "If Colin Powell were a prosecuting attorney summarizing his evidence at trial, a fair jury would vote unanimously for conviction." The Herald specifically challenged the argument that the case for war was being made on the grounds of pathos rather than logos: "For Americans who think that President Bush's campaign for war on Iraq thus far has had more heat than light, Mr. Powell provided sobering, chilling details that bolster the U.S. position." Later in the article, the Herald asserted that Powell had now put "hard evidence behind the administration's emotional push for war. . . ." Writing for the Los Angeles Times, Bob Drogin noted that Powell had now revealed far more evidence than had previously been publicly available, but he also observed that many of the cognoscenti were skeptical of the conclusions that Powell drew from that evidence.
Later that same day, word of the plagiarism in the British document began to spread to the press. By the next day—Friday, 7 February 2003—the world (or at least that portion of it who were reading and hearing certain media sources) knew that Colin Powell's case to the United Nations was based in part on a document that was not only plagiarized but was also fraudulent: a synthesis of stale, online, public-domain texts had been plagiarized by a politician's staff members and then represented as an intelligence document. "Glenn Rangwala,[1] an Iraq specialist at Cambridge University who analyzed the Downing Street dossier, told Reuters that 11 of its 19 pages were 'taken wholesale from academic papers,'" says Reuters reporter Dominic Evans, who continues,
Sections in the dossier on Saddam's security apparatus drew heavily on an article written last year by Ibrahim al-Marashi, an American postgraduate student of Iraqi descent who works at the Monterey Institute of International Studies in California. . . . Experts who pored over the document said it also lifted material from articles published in 1997 and 2002 in Jane's Intelligence Review.
On that same day, 7 February, the editor of Jane's confirmed that 10 Downing Street had appropriated three articles from its pages: two 1997 articles by Sean Boyne, and one 2002 article by Ken Gause. The Manchester Guardian notes the irony that Boyne is "an analyst opposed to war on Iraq." The Times of London adds that some of the material appropriated from Marashi's article referenced "a 1999 book by the former weapons inspector Scott Ritter, who opposes President Bush's Iraq policy" (Bennett & Monaghan). The 10 Downing Street dossier, which was designed to support war against Iraq, had copied, without attribution, extended passages from four sources available online. Two of these four sources were written by an opponent of war with Iraq. Passages copied from a third source were referencing another anti-war source. So 10 Downing Street had not only engaged in extensive plagiarism but had manipulated plagiarized anti-war sources to make the case for war.
And on that same day, Friday, 7 February, President Bush placed the United States on orange (high) alert, because of what the Detroit Free Press reported as a "torrent of terrorist activity worldwide." Five days later, the Village Voice would suggest that the alert might have been diverting attention not specifically from the plagiarism story but more generally from anti-war sentiment: ". . . we'll probably never know to what extent Attorney General Ashcroft's orange alarm Friday was to drum up support for the coming war, or how much to rationalize the need for a conservative rewrite of the U.S. Patriot Act."
And also on 7 February, Tony Blair's office acknowledged the plagiarism in the dossier—which amounted to acknowledging that it had been falsified as an intelligence document—yet, according to the Washington Post, "insisted" that the information in the report was "accurate." The Manchester Guardian explains,
Downing Street insists that, for all the red faces, nobody—including al-Marashi—has challenged the accuracy of what is in the dossier. Academics disagree. "The information presented as being an accurate statement of the current state of Iraq's security organisations may not be anything of the sort," Rangwala's email concluded.
Guy Raz, speaking on NPR's "All Things Considered," agreed. Barry Rubin, editor of the Middle East Review of International Affairs (one of the sources from which the British document plagiarized) concurs: "The fact is that the report was a good one. The information was correct and highly useful."
How, please, could Rubin know that the information was correct and highly useful? If reliable documents could be produced to prove that claim, why weren't they? Why did commentators, while acknowledging that the dossier was both plagiarized and fraudulent, continue to assert that it was true, yet fail to demonstrate that claim?
Powell dissociated himself from the research behind the report while reaffirming its findings. On 8 February the Times of London announced, "Last night the US State Department said that General Powell was aware of the reports. 'The British report contained good information. We'll leave it to them to talk about how it was put together,' a senior official told The Times."
Powell declined to evaluate the reliability of the dossier's evidence, yet perversely, he continued to embrace its claims as evidence for his argument for war. Whether the document was in fact a contemporary, timely intelligence document does not matter; what matters is that it purports to support an argument that Powell wants to advance. Facts? Truth? All that seems to matter is ideologically based claims.
Through Sunday, 9 February, the news media carried stories about the plagiarism incident. Yet those stories were usually separate from analysis of the buildup toward war. Despite claims from the Left that the plagiarism was the tip of an iceberg of government deception, the Iraq dossier story was self-contained; it did not enter into the media's main stories about the impending war.
On 14 February, Hans Blix reported to the United Nations that the United States was withholding intelligence information from the weapons inspectors; that Iraq was increasingly cooperative in the inspections; and that the weapons inspectors had found no evidence that the Iraqis were engaged in new production of weapons of mass destruction. Though not mentioning the British dossier, Blix challenged some of the claims made by Powell in his speech to the U.N. the previous week. The Security Council then voted by a "solid majority" to continue inspections. The Washington Post concluded, "The session dealt a severe blow to the administration's carefully calibrated campaign to gain early approval for a U.S.-led invasion." From the point of view of the Boston Globe, the Blix speech "complicated" the American position; from the perspective of the Independent of London, it may have turned the tide away from war.
It didn't. The campaign of "shock and awe," which the Columbia Online Encyclopedia historicizes as "an airstrike aimed at Hussein personally," began on 19 March 2003.
The war was declared over in only a few weeks, but the world kept asking about those weapons of mass destruction. Yet on May 1, 2003, Time magazine observed that the majority of Americans thought the war had been worthwhile, regardless of whether WMD were found. American officials were now admitting that the WMD claims were false but were saying that WMD hadn't been the real reason for making war on Iraq anyhow; the real reason had been "to establish a beachhead for democracy against terrorism in the Middle East." The emphasis on WMD, the Time writer continues, had been for the purposes of winning public American support for the invasion. Recurring to the February 5 Colin Powell presentation to the U.N. Security Council, Time observes that "so far, little evidence has emerged to back up some of his allegations."
It's okay to tell lies. It's okay to plagiarize and falsify documents. It's okay to mislead a populace that can gain access to reliable information only by mighty effort, by tirelessly accessing a variety of media sources from around the globe. It's okay to dupe them into believing that there are moral reasons for making war on another nation, when in fact those "reasons" are themselves lies, advanced through plagiarized, fraudulent documents.
It's not just that the Brits plagiarized and falsified a dossier nor that the U.S. endorsed and relied upon the document. The U.S., too, was busily manufacturing evidence against Saddam—as became apparent in June 2003, when former U.S. intelligence official Greg Thielmann questioned Bush's use of intelligence data.
And it's not just that Bush's questionable use of documents and corrupt methods of persuasion were confined to justifying the invasion of Iraq. He's at it again, this time with reference to Fidel Castro and Cuba. In a speech on 20 July 2004 that was reported in the Los Angeles Times and picked up by only a handful of other U.S. media, including the Common Dreams Newscenter, Bush asserted that Castro promotes sex tourism in Cuba. Challenged on this, his handlers produced a source from the Internet: a prize-winning undergraduate paper (Trumbull) written in 2001. When Trumbull was subsequently interviewed about the incident, he expressed surprise as well as frustration: Bush's speechwriters had misinterpreted what Trumbull was saying, and moreover, Trumbull's undergraduate paper did not cite its source on the topic. Nor could Charles Trumbull himself, now a law student, remember what they might have been. Another Presidential argument made without evidence! Government by public relations: decide what actions you want to take, and then offer insubstantial evidence for it. That evidence can be plagiarized; it can be fraudulent; and it can be the undocumented work of college students. What's next—the claims of talk-show participants as evidence for foreign policy?
Grinding Bush's axes of evil against the Castro administration
has not yet resulted in demonstrable loss of life in Cuba, nor has that
government yet been overthrown.
Iraq is quite a different matter.
There, thousands of soldiers, soldiers of fortune, hired guns,
civilians, and children have been maimed and killed;[2] one country's infrastructure
destroyed; and U.S. integrity
With an eerie sense of déjà vu, on September 3, 2004, I read the previous day's Martini Republic blog (DeLarge et al.), which asserts that Zell Miller's attack on John Kerry at the Republican National Convention was derived from two false email hoaxes, one of which Miller plagiarized from.
It may not be easy to answer falsehoods with facts, but it is worth the effort. That effort will have to be made by each individual citizen, through multiple means. We cannot depend on a single medium—whether television, radio, film, print, or Internet—for our information. Nor can we find a single reliable source. The (inter)national emergency in which we find ourselves, an emergency rife with falsification and withholding of essential data, requires that each of us work energetically to gather, evaluate, interpret, and share information. It requires, too, that we speak up, in whatever media are available to us—in our blogs, in the beauty salon and bowling alley, in public demonstrations—and encourage others to do the same. If you are eligible to vote and have not yet registered, please do it now—before political chicanery or your own inaction robs you of the opportunity for honest government.
First posted: 5 August 2004
Last revised: 3 September 2004
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Evans, Dominic. "UK's Blair under Fire for Plagiarized Iraq Dossier." Reuters News Agency 7 February 2003. 9 February 2003 <http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=2190238>.
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Frankel, Glenn. "Blair Acknowledges Flaws in Iraq Dossier." Washington Post 8 February 2003. 8 February 2003 <http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A42276-2003Feb7.html>.
Franken, Al. Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them: A Fair and Balanced Look at the Right. Dutton Books, 2003.
Gore, Al. "Remarks by Al Gore." MoveOn PAC 26 May 2004. 4 August 2004 <http://www.moveonpac.org/goreremarks052604.html>.
Hinsliff, Gaby, Martin Bright, Peter Beaumont, and Ed Vulliamy. "First Casualties in the Propaganda Firefight." The Manchester Guardian 9 February 2003. 9 February 2003 <http://www.observer.co.uk/focus/story/0,6903,891940,00.html>.
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Karon, Tony. "Saddam is Gone, But What About His Weapons?" Time 2 May 2003. 2 May 2003 <http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,448830,00.html>.
Kessler, Glenn. "Old Data, New Credibility Issues." Washington Post 4 August 2004: A01. 4 August 2004 <http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A37911-2004Aug3.html>.
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Rangwalla, Glen. "British Intelligence Iraq Dossier Relies on Recycled Academic Articles." Email. 5 February 2003. Rpt. Centre for Research on Globalisation 11 February 2003. 6 August 2004 <http://globalresearch.ca/articles/RAN302A.html>.
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Reynolds, Maura. "Bush Took Quote Out of Context, Researcher Says." Common Dreams Newscenter 20 July 2004. 25 July 2004 <http://www.commondreams.org/headlines04/0720-02.htm>.
Ridgeway, James. "Conspiracy Theories." The Village Voice 12-18 February 2003. 11 February 2003 <http://www.villagevoice.com/issues/0307/ridgeway.php>.
Rubin, Barry. "British Government Plagiarizes MERIA Journal: Our Response." Middle East Review of International Affairs, n.d. 10 February 2003 <http://meria.idc.ac.il/british-govt-plagiarizes-meria.html>.
Rugman, Jonathan. "Downing St Document Plagiarised." Channel 4 (England) 6 February 2003. 16 February 2003 <http://www.channel4.com/news/2003/02/week_1/06_dossier.html>.
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Thielmann, Greg. Interview with Bill Moyers. Now with Bill Moyers. PBS 13 June 2003. 4 August 2004 <http://www.pbs.org/now/transcript/transcript224_full.html>.
Trumbull, Charles. "Economic Reforms and Social Contradictions in Cuba." Cuba in Transition. Volume 10, Papers and Proceedings of the Tenth Annual Meeting of the Association for the Study of the Cuban Economy (ASCE), Miami, Florida, August, 2000. 1 August 2004 available in PDF at <http://www.be.wvu.edu/divecon/econ/trumbull/cuba/rules293.htm>.
Usborne, David. "On a Day of High Drama, a Quiet Swede May Just Have Turned Back the Tide of War." The Independent (London) 15 February 2003. 15 February 2003 <http://news.independent.co.uk/world/politics/story.jsp?story=378431>.
Vanden Huevel, Katrina. "Powell Fails to Make Case." The Nation 6 February 2003. 12 February 2003 <http://www.thenation.com/doc.mhtml?i=20030224&s=kvh>.
[1] Rangwala's analysis would later be published on 11 February 2003 by the Montreal-based Centre for Research on Globalisation <http://globalresearch.ca/articles/RAN302A.html>.
[2] According to the Iraq Body Count website, as of 16 July 2004, between 11,429 and 13,398 civilians had been killed in Iraq. Among the compilers of the database are Glen Rangwalla, who initiated the alert about the plagiarisms in the second dodgy dossier. According to the Antiwar.org website edited by Michael Ewens, as of 7 August 2004, American military deaths totaled 929, with another 5692 wounded. On August 10, an editorial in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports that 123 soldiers from other countries have been killed, along with somewhere on the order of 10,000 to 15,000 Iraqi combatants. The numbers of "enemy combatants" are hard to pin down, because of the U.S. refusal to do a "body count."


text:
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subset: commoncrawl


text:
Brown Wounded by Lack Of Army Equipment
Brown hits back at ex-military chiefs' criticism of forces' equipment - Scotsman.com News
THE equipment available to British troops in the field is better than it has been for years, Gordon Brown, the Prime Minister, insisted yesterday
Mr Brown told British Forces Broadcasting Service that the country's troops deserved "nothing but the best," hitting back at retired military chiefs who have questioned his commitment to the armed forces.
The government has faced persistent accusations that the military is under-resourced and morale is low.
Mr Brown said it was "totally unfair" to question his commitment to the armed forces: "Over the last few years, despite difficult circumstances … we have tried our best not only to give decent settlements so that there is the money to do everything necessary, but also where there is an urgent operational requirement, we changed the system so that the equipment can get there more quickly.
"I think the evidence on the ground is that the equipment people have is a lot better than it was a few years ago
After his long and dangerous tour of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan Brown knows better than those pathetic grumblers in Uniform, why as soon as he landed he was issued with brand new well fitting body armour, what more could anyone want? And when needs are urgent he is the man to fiddle with "the system" so that procurement and budget agreement meetings can take only months to start happening, don't these ungrateful squaddies realise how hard it is to get things moving in the Civil Service, they should have more patience whilst he has to wrestle with the dangers of preparing a budget policy.


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Estimated shipping is based on standard shipping rate inside contiguous United States. Your order total including shipping & taxes (NC) will be displayed later in checkout before submitting your order.
From trampline bouncing to slow-motion jogging, these bouncing big breasts hit 8.3 on the tit-quake scale before each scene ends with a pair of creamy knockers! 5 scenes. 110 minutes, plus 32 bonus minutes.
Scene 1: Sara Stone swings and jiggles during a strip ping-pong game with Eric Swiss before bending over for standing doggy while her melons swing back and forth!
Scene 2: Once Carmen Hayes perfects her serve playing topless tennis, she works on her blowjob skills with Kris Slater's cock before wrapping her bra-busters around his shaft for a full-out boobjob!
Scene 3: From topless hula-hooping to a hot and heavy reverse cowgirl bouncing on Chris Cannon's shaft, it seems like Allie Foster's DDs just don't stop moving!
Scene 4: Riley Evans gets a workout bouncing on her exercise ball before treating her patient Tommy Gunn to a spit-flying 69 and some deep-thrusting spooning as he gropes the twins!
Scene 5: Evie Delatosso looks amazing jumping around on her trampoline in her white nurse stockings and her tits flying everywhere! But she looks even hotter a boobjob leaves Dane Cross completely drained… all over her chest!
Adam and Eve recommends this adult movie for anyone interested in big breasts or nurses.
This adult movie includes the following content: 1 interracial sex scenes.
|Big Breasts
|Tommy Gunn
|Adam & Eve Pictures
|DVD, On Demand
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CURE Golf Outing Raises $29,600 for CURE Scholarships (Monitor: August 9, 2010)
Credit union leaders from across Michigan gathered on July 28, a beautiful day to play golf and boost legislative advocacy at the CURE Golf Outing in East Lansing.
Ninety-eight golfers participated in the ninth annual event at Forest Akers West golf course by the campus of Michigan State University, and 30 sponsors helped to raise the $29,596 that will go toward scholarships for credit union officials to attend important grassroots lobbying events. This dollar amount tops last year's total of $29,025.
The team award for first place went to Sam Paraschos, John Clothier, Sid DeCou, and Joe Eufinger of Flint Area School ECU (FL); the team award for second place went to Doug Burroughs of CUNA Mutual Group, and Tommie Culpepper, Ron Darling, and Robin Frucci of LAFCU (LN).
Individual awards went to Terri Papiersky of South Central CU (JA) and Alan Augustine of University of Michigan CU (HV) for longest drive; and Janice Rose of E & A CU (ME) and Gerald Little of Wanigas CU (MM), for closest-to-pin.
Special thanks to all of our generous CURE Golf Outing sponsors. If you are interested in participating or sponsoring next year's event on July 27, 2011, please contact MCUL Political Affairs Coordinator Jami Meyer at email@example.com or 800-262-6285 ext. 353.
Item Sponsored
CUNA Mutual Group
Awards Sponsor
Dinner Sponsor
CU Solutions Group
Co-op Services Credit Union
Golf Cart Sponsor
Co-op Financial Services
Goodie Bag Sponsor
Michigan Educational Credit Union
Lunch Sponsor
Option 1 Credit Union
Dow Chemical Employees' Credit Union
Driving Range Sponsor
MSU Federal Credit Union
Public Affairs Associates
Men's Longest Drive
Lake Trust Credit Union
Women's Longest Drive
Northland Area Federal Credit Union
Men's Closest to Pin
Onaway Community Federal Credit Union
Women's Closest to Pin
Detroit Metropolitan Credit Union
Putting Green Sponsor
CP Financial Services
Hole Sponsor
E & A Credit Union
Eaton County Educational Credit Union
Genisys Credit Union
Holzman and Corkery
Lasertec, Inc.
Members First Credit Union
Team One Credit Union
The CASE Group
The Leduc Group
University of Michigan Credit Union
Cindrich, Mahalak & Co., P.C.
Salus Group
Hole In One Sponsor


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Parrett or Parret, a river in Dorset and Somerset, England.
(PG–109: dp. 1,870; l. 301'6"; b. 36'6"; dr. 11'6"; s. 20 k.; a. 3 3"; cl. River)
Parret (PG–109) was built for the United States in 1943 from British plans by Canadian Vickers, Ltd. Ottawa, Canada; launched 30 April 1943; transferred to the United Kingdom 31 August 1943 under Lend Lease Agreement; and commissioned 31 August 1943 as HMS Parret (K–304).
Parret served the British Royal Navy in the Atlantic during World War II and was returned to the U.S. Navy 5 February 1946 and placed in reserve. She was transferred to the Maritime Commission 5 May 1948 for disposal and subsequently sold and scrapped.


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| Email
Click the image above to know more!
Click on the image to listen "The First
Muntiny - Dogmas of Indian Rock"
On the banks of the rivers of Babylon, we sat down and wept.
On the willows there, we hung up our harps.
-- Psalm
137, The Bible
Angels are still contemplating whether to return to the promised
land or not. They are waiting for some sort of a sign that will propel them to do
so. But it will never come, as the promised land is right here and right now and
it is better we all pull up our socks and start living.
The scenario is quite similar to a lot of Rock bands in India.
They are still basking in those glorious days when everything under the sun rocked
and rolled and refuse to face the reality, which is overflowing with mediocrity.
Messiahs are too hard to come these days and they are too concerned about martyrdom.
They come all the way here to tell you how great it is to live
and they get stoned to death for it. No more of such adventures now. Let the world
go to hell. Hell is getting too hot to handle anyways and all lives are roasting
in humiliation and frustration. DogmaTone Records has sprung up from nowhere gushing
with waters to cool the volcano of death. We are here to help bands pick up their
harps and beat mediocrity to death.
The First Mutiny : Dogmas
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DogmaTone Records'
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in all Music World outlets across Karnataka.
Go ahead and make
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We support:
© DogmaTone Records.
Concept by eDuration


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Alasem, Rafe and Abu-Mansour, Hussein (2010) EF-AQM: Efficient and Fair Bandwidth Allocation AQM Scheme for Wireless Networks. In: 2010 2nd International Conference on Computational Intelligence, Communication Systems and Networks (CICSyN 2010). IEEE, London, UK, pp. 169-172. ISBN 9781424475322
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Heterogeneous Wireless Networks are considered nowadays as one of the potential areas in research and development. The traffic management schemes that have been used at the fusion points between the different wireless networks are classical and conventional. This paper is focused on developing a novel scheme to overcome the problem of traffic congestion in the fusion point router interconnected the heterogeneous wireless networks. The paper proposed an EF-AQM algorithm which provides an efficient and fair allocation of bandwidth among different established flows. Finally, the proposed scheme developed, tested and validated through a set of experiments to demonstrate the relative merits and capabilities of a proposed scheme.
|Item Type:
|Book Chapter
|Q Science > Q Science (General)
Q Science > QA Mathematics > QA75 Electronic computers. Computer science
|School of Computing and Engineering
School of Computing and Engineering > Informatics Research Group
School of Computing and Engineering > Informatics Research Group > Knowledge Engineering and Intelligent Interfaces
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|Sara Taylor
|Date Deposited:
|30 Nov 2010 10:47
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|05 Jan 2011 11:38
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Trend Alert at Home: Stripes
We asked popular bloggers and designers to share how they're using our March issue Trend in their homes and wardrobes. Plus, see our editors' favorite striped pieces
By Hannah Martin
Daniel Kantor of Manhattan Nest
"Ticking stripe has a classic, vintage feel that's easy to coordinate, doesn't overwhelm the space, and subtly highlights the verticality in the room. The result: a small rooms feels much more spacious. Here, our custom extra-long shower curtain from Daniel Dry Goods on Etsy gets the job done."


text: 5 Awesomebeck1987 | 31/03/2010 | See all beck1987's reviews (11)This film is amazing. Tamar Hassan and Danny Dyer should definitely stick together and star in everyfim together. I know they are ion alot of films together (football factory, city rats, dead man running etc...) but I would definitely say they play these roles the best. I love this film and everyone that watches it will love it too.


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L. David Baron wrote: > On Wednesday 2008-07-16 11:29 -0700, L. David Baron wrote: >> This is a publication request for css3-color, located at >> http://dev.w3.org/csswg/css3-color/ . I propose a publication date >> of next Monday (5 days from now, per [1]), but I don't mind >> publishing earlier (or, if necessary, later). >> >> Two files need to be published: >> http://dev.w3.org/csswg/css3-color/Overview.html >> http://dev.w3.org/csswg/css3-color/default.css > > I notice that the first of this two files has been placed at > http://www.w3.org/TR/2008/WD-css3-color-20080721/ , but the style > sheet has not. > > -David > Hi David, Sorry for getting back to you on this so late. Document looks mostly good, there is just one or two small things that it would be great if you can have a look at before the release: - one link seems to be dead : http://www.hike.te.chiba-u.ac.jp/ikeda/CIE/publ/abst/15-2-86.html (lines: 4898, 4901) - Pubrules still seems to complain about the group ipp, could you please double check ? Many thanks. -- JulesReceived on Monday, 21 July 2008 13:48:34 GMT
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.2.0+W3C-0.50 : Wednesday, 7 November 2012 14:18:18 GMT


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It is a simple bridge, but for residents of one Hudson Valley town, it represents more than just a roadway. As YNN's Alexandra Weishaupt explains, it represents a new beginning following a natural disaster.
ULSTER COUNTY, N.Y. -- A grand ceremony marked by a red ribbon signifies the official opening of the new bridge on County Route 47 in Big Indian.
"It speaks to the extraordinary spirit of the DPW workers who really saw this as a challenge and rose to the challenge," said Ulster County Executive Michael Hein. Last August, the road was severely damaged when Mother Nature took its toll. Hurricane Irene turned the Cascade Brooke into raging floodwaters, creating a break in the road so wide and deep that a bridge was needed where no bridge had been before. In less than 48 hours, a temporary crossing was put in place so that emergency service could get through.
Hein said, "To get something like that done in that short of time period is remarkable."
And once that was complete, the department of public works began designing, building and installing the new bridge, completing the project within months of the destruction.
"Hurricane Irene may have come through and given us one heck of a punch, but our community is amazing at getting up off the mat and fighting back," Hein said. nd to make the occasion even more momentous, the bridge is named the "Stephen F. Fischer Memorial Cascade Brooke Bridge" in honor of Ulster County native Stephen Fischer who died tragically in 2010. "He loved the people he worked with. He loved the county. He was there for almost 20 years and he just liked giving back to the community and being a part of it," said Allison Fischer, Stephen's wife.
Fischer was a public servant at the Ulster County department of public works. He was highly respected for his devotion to his community and willingness to help others.
Fischer said, "Its an unbelievable honor that they would think so much of him to do something like this."
"I couldn't think of a better person to name it after because it really exemplifies the entire spirit of the DPW and how they have responded on the heels of Hurricane Irene," Hein said.
And they hope Fischer's memory will live on as the new bridge serves the needs of the community, just as he had done for so many years.
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Beginning Pop Brass Sheet Music: 3 items found
100 Solos - Trumpet
(for Trumpet). Composed by Various. Arranged by Robin De Smet. For Trumpet. Music Sales America. Broadway, Pop, Folk and Classical Period. Difficulty: easy-medium to medium. Trumpet solo book (no accompaniment). 95 pages. Music Sales #AM33697. Published by Music Sales (HL.14036715)
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Trombo Mambo
(Trombone Section Feature). Composed by Michael Story and Mike Story. Concert Band. Concert Band. Belwin Beginning Band. Grade 1. Conductor Score & Parts. 152 pages. Duration 1:22. Published by Belwin Music (AP.BD9542)
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Definitive Rock 'n' Roll Collection - Trombone
By Various. For Trombone. Chart. Rock 'n' Roll, 1950s, 1960s and Oldies. Difficulty: easy-medium. Instrumental solo songbook (no accompaniment). Standard notation. 96 pages. Published by Hal Leonard (HL.847211)
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text: Experience Life At The Heart Of The Yarra At The Langham, Melbourne 12/27/2012 8:12:00 PM MELBOURNE - The Langham, Melbourne has released four new Love the Yarra add-ons celebrating its recent partnership with Arts Centre Melbourne, and its covetable location in the heart of the arts precinct and on the banks of the Yarra River. Available now and introduced as permanent fixtures, the Love the Yarra add-ons are bespoke, tailor-made encounters exclusive to hotel guests booking business or leisure stays at The Langham, Melbourne. The four Love the Yarra add-ons include: LANGHAM BIKES - Hire of The Langham's signature pink bicycles to explore the Yarra Boulevard and surrounding gardens. Cost: The bicycles can be hired for up to four hours at $15 per bike, and are available daily between 9.00am – 1.00pm and 1.30pm to 5.30pm. Book: Bicycles can be hired through the hotel's concierge service. LOVE THE YARRA PICNIC - One of the best ways to experience the sights and sounds of Melbourne is to settle on the banks of the Yarra River, and indulge in a picnic basket of the freshest local and seasonal produce. Choose to picnic by The Yarra or in the nearby Botanic gardens - explore on your own or engage a Langham picnic stylist to locate and set up your picnic. TIFFIN PICNIC - a reflection of the hotel's signature Tiffin experience. Delight in nostalgic Tiffin served on a traditional three-tiered silver stand. Served with your choice of tea-English Breakfast , Earl Grey , Organic peppermint and Green tea. COST: $75 per person (Includes Tiffin Picnic, Orange juice, mineral water 500ml, Picnic basket, rug), A selection of beverages is available at an additional cost . Picnic Service stylist is available at $75 per hr, to set up and serve your picnic. Book: Available from 11am to 6pm. 24 hours notice is required. Book through In Room Dining. GOURMET PICNIC - a delectable selection of premium Victorian and Australian produce and fine foods. COST : $95 per person (Includes Gourmet Picnic, Orange juice, mineral water 500ml, Picnic basket and rug). A selection of beverages is available at an additional cost. Picnic Service stylist is available at $75 per hour to set up and serve your picnic Book: Available from 11am to 6pm. 24 hours notice is required. Book through In Room Dining. LOVE THE YARRA – ARTS HAMER HALL TOUR - The Melbourne Arts Precinct emanating from Southbank beside the Yarra – includes The Arts Centre and newly refurbished Hamer Hall, the National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne Recital Centre, Melbourne Theatre company, Australia Centre for Contemporary Art , Malthouse Theatre and Sidney Myer Music bowl . Hotel guests are invited to join a tour of the new Hamer Hall. Cost : Complimentary – simply present your Langham Room Key for a complimentary place on the Tour (Retail value $15 per person). Times : Monday – Saturday, 11am-12pm. (No tours on Good Friday and Christmas Day.) Book: call Arts Centre Concierge on 9281 8298 from 9am-11pm daily. Or visit http://www.artscentremelbourne.com.au/whats-on/event.aspx?id=44 Meet : Theatres Building Concierge Desk, Arts Centre Melbourne. SYMPHONY PLATTER – created in celebration of The Langham, Melbourne's partnership with Arts Centre Melbourne. Ideal as a pre or post-performance dining option, the Symphony Platter features a selection of Melba's signatures including tempura soft shell crab sushi; pappadums and eggplant & potato curry puffs with mint Raita; and Peking duck wraps with cucumber and spring onions. Cost: $55 for two Book: Through ARIA Bar & Lounge. The Symphony Platter is available from 10am until late. "The Langham, Melbourne has long been associated with the arts precinct and the Yarra River, given our location on the Yarra is at its very heart," Mr Ben Sington, Managing Director of The Langham, Melbourne said. "The Love the Yarra add-ons are something only our hotel can offer guests with our Langham signatures, exciting partnerships and splendid location, and are a wonderful way for our guests to enhance their business or pleasure stays." Melbourne was founded on the banks of the Yarra and today the heart of the city is still very much within a one-kilometre section with The Langham, Melbourne located at its core. With Love the Yarra, guests will receive the quintessential Melbourne experience – whether it is a charming bike ride and picnic in the beautiful Royal Botanic Gardens or exploring Melbourne's exuberant arts and cultural scene. For more information on or to book any one of The Langham, Melbourne's packages including the Enchanting Summer Haven, visit http://www.langhamhotels.com/melbourne/en Background Notes: The Langham, Melbourne at Southbank is located at the heart of Melbourne's diverse performing Arts scene, and is a proud partner of the Arts Centre Melbourne, Melbourne Recital Centre, Opera Australia and the Melbourne International Jazz Festival. The 25-floor hotel has 387 luxuriously appointed rooms including 45 executive club rooms, 46 river view rooms, 11 suites and 7 Terrace Rooms with 50m² private balconies, attended to by the hotel's signature Service Stylists. With stunning views of the Melbourne city skyline, the Yarra River, historic Flinders Street station and Federation Square, The Langham, Melbourne offers a luxurious and timeless inner-city experience. The Langham, Melbourne has been named the top city hotel in Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific by Travel & Leisure (US) magazine (2012), and has been a constant feature on Travel + Leisure (US) World's Best lists (2010 – 2012). The hotel has also been recognised by notable consumer-voted awards including TripAdvisor's Traveler's Choice Awards 2012 (No.1 in the Top 25 Luxury Hotels in Australia). The Langham, Melbourne is also acclaimed for its award-winning Chuan Spa, interactive dining restaurant – Melba, and chic bar & lounge – ARIA. Find out more about enchanting experiences at The Langham, Melbourne and make a reservation by visiting langhamhotels.com. For media enquiries, please contact:Fiona MaurerTel: (03) 8696 8153Mobile : 0425 750 655Email: email@example.com


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Metro Turf Racing Club Live Racing
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Windows 8 Review – Ready to Compete With Android and iPad TabletMicrosoft will continue to hold Intel and ARM in the availability of the chip. Especially for ARM-based chip architecture chosen Microsoft for use on the tablet.With Windows 8 on the tablet, Microsoft wants to show the operating system they are ready to compete with Android and iPad tablet. Windows 8 starts with removing the round Start [...]
The most Deadly Animals in the WorldStone Fish Fish that gray blackish and has a length of about 30 cm. Stone fish like to hide under the coral reef on the ocean floor so it looks like a stone. This capability is used to outwit the enemy and prey. When you swim, despite being by it's side he would remain silent so that it became invisible. These [...]
Best Family Movie of 20142014 is almost over, during this year there has been a lot of great family movie that was played on cinema. So, what are the Best Family Movie of 2014? There has been quite a lot of it. Today we will line up several Best Family Movie that you can watch again latter together with your family. Maleficent Coming as a dark and gloomy [...]
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Advan Offers 9 New Variants of Hammer SmartphoneIf you live or work in big cities, you might not have the idea of purchasing a feature phone. Yet, the people who live in the suburbs do not think the same way as you do. They make higher demand of the feature phones. Based on the IDC data, in the middle of the smartphone competitions, the features phone still obtains 74 percents out [...]
7 Good Health Tips for Busy PeopleAre you included as those busy people? Are you type of person that forget when was the last time you had sport? The last time you consume food that is not fast food? Or take some good times to relaxing? If you are, this good health tips is for you. Activities should not make you forget about the most important thing in this life: [...]
Having a Cheap Spa Day Treatment to Give Yourself a Break During Hectic Daily RoutineSpa treatment is at best to have during the holiday or the weekend. The relaxation will be optimum when you have the treatment during your holiday on the beautiful beach, and staying on the famous and convenient resort that provide the spa facilities. However, not many people can have the holiday schedule, but there are many people, [...]
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Afghan farmers collect raw opium as they work in a poppy field in Khogyani district of Jalalabad, east of Kabul, Afghanistan in May 2013. Opium poppy cultivation has been increasing for a third year in a row and is heading for a record high, the U.N. said in a report.
KABUL – Afghanistan produced record levels of opium in 2013 – despite nearly $7 billion spent by the U.S. to combat the problem, according to a sobering United Nations report out Wednesday.
Propelled by strong demand and an insurgency that has become more hands-on in the trade, cultivation of opium poppies, which are processed into heroin, rose 36 percent, amounting to 209,000 hectares.
Afghanistan remains the world's largest opium producer – last year accounting for 75 percent of the world's heroin supply. This is despite more than a decade worth of international efforts to persuade poppy farmers to switch to other crops such as wheat.
"The narcotics issue in Afghanistan acts as a virus festering on a low immunity system of governance," said Jean-Luc Lemahieu, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime representative for Afghanistan. "The region and international community share responsibility in this."
Poppy cultivation, historically concentrated in the southern and western parts of the country, has spread to the north, which had been largely poppy-free. Two provinces, Faryab and Balkh, are noted in the U.N. report to have lost their poppy-free status.
At $160 to $200 for one kilogram of dry opium, compared to 41 cents for one kilogram of wheat, farmers are making a strictly economic decision when they decide to go into the trade, said Shafeek Seddiq, president of the Afghanistan Justice Organization.
"If farmers are being offered no other financial alternatives, no services, no way out of poverty, they're going to continue to go back to planting poppy every time," Seddiq said.
With 60,000 U.S. forces left in Afghanistan – down from a peak of 100,000 – insurgents have fought hard to reclaim lost ground in poppy producing areas and have used opium production to help finance terrorism, security analysts say.
"The drug economy plays a direct role in severely destabilizing the region," said Wadir Safi, political science professor at the University of Kabul. "Poppy crop sales make it increasingly difficult for the Afghan government to establish control in an ever-increasing part of the country and opium continues to make its way to neighboring countries and Europe."


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The Black Party IX
- What:
- As of 12-22-12 all of our regular VIP ticket inventory has been sold. Please email us on our contact page or to firstname.lastname@example.com to request to be put on the list to receive notifications as more become available. Otherwise you can purchase a VIP Table and Bottle Service for a group. Also please note GA tickets are also true Open BAR all night! The Black Party, Kansas City's proven New Year"s Eve destination for eight consecutive years, heads to a new location this year. The Firestone bldg located in downtown Kansas City at 2001 Grand BLVD will provide 4 levels of entertainment for this year Black Party Patrons. With a new venue, entertainment and sponsors, but the same incredible vibe, The Black Party IX will be the place to be when the clock strikes twelve. More info at www.blackpartykc.com. With four unique entertainment venues under one roof, The Black Party IX offers a complete musical menu suited to fit a variety of tastes. Only 1200 tickets will be sold* to this great event. Tickets are $85 for GA - $110 for VIP and VIP Tables are 1600 (includes 8 tickets and two bottles). E-mail email@example.com to inquire about group rates. Single Tickets include: Entry into each entertainment room, OPEN BAR, Midnight Champagne Toast, party favors, Open Bar Drink package from our sponsors, and a chance to win over $1,000 in cash and prizes. Couples Tickets include: Two Single Tickets VIP Ticket Package includes: All of the GA benefits plus - access to the 8th floor VIP Room, 10 piece Dinner Buffet, Champagne Service throughout the evening, and access to a separate coat check area. More info at www.blackpartykc.com. This event has sold out eight consecutive years! See you on New Year"s Eve. * All ticket sales are final. No refunds. Tickets may be transferred. Name on ticket does not need to match ID. Must be 21+ with valid ID to enter.
- Where:
The Historic Firestone Building
Kansas City MO
- Cost:
- $85.00, $110.00, $1600.00,
- Category:
- Nightlife & Singles
- When:
- Monday, December 31 @ 9:00 pm
- Links:
Having trouble? Let us know!


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"Julie Bove" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:jhf1qp$jd0$[email protected]..
> The only problem I had is that I cooked the whole package (4 servings)
> of shells. I feared that some shells might break in cooking. That
> didn't happen. There were some shells broken in the package though so
> I decided I may as well just cook them all. The leftovers may or may
> not get eaten. I used the right amount of spinach (2 handfuls) which
> I chopped before cooking and some ground flaxseed mixed with water for
> the egg. I also used Wolfgang Puck's pasta sauce. The jar said 4
> servings and it was just the right amount for 2 servings of the shells
> because you do want them well covered. Angela loved it! Thanks to
> those who helped me with this.


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{New Year - New Sophisticate} New Year's Eve Collaboration with Frog Prince Paperie
Party Recap
Party Styling and Design - Southern Belle's Charm
Printables - Frog Prince Paperie
Place Cards - Potter & Butler
New Year's Eve collaboration with Paula of Frog Prince Paperie. Paula and I decided several months ago that we wanted to work together. We collaborated on a design for New Year's just for the adults. It was a great time working with her. She is a professional!
The theme: Grey, Creme {a Neutral Palette} that party girls can then add their own flair.


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Gear Review
Great deal
Member since
Great performance for Honest price. I got the Oxford tan colour, and in fact they resulted a bit lighter than in the photos. Anyway, the quality is very High. Loose and comfy. Absolutely a great deal..
View More Details on Foursquare Q Pant - Men's


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Senior executives of the Chinese division of British pharmaceutical firm, GlaxoSmithKline, have been accused of running bribery campaigns, according to the ministry of public security.
Senior managers of GSK in China have confessed to bribery, "serious" business offences and tax crimes, the ministry of public security said on Thursday in a statement.
As a big multinational pharmaceutical company, GSK China in recent years rampantly bribed some government officials, a number of pharmaceutical industry groups and funds, hospitals and doctors
Ministry of Public Security, China
"As a big multinational pharmaceutical company, GSK China in recent years rampantly bribed some government officials, a number of pharmaceutical industry groups and funds, hospitals and doctors," said the ministry, which is in charge of China's police.
The firm did so in order to sell products or raise prices, it said, adding that benefits were provided "via travel agencies and other channels in the form of direct bribery or sponsorship".
It also committed tax-related crimes, the statement said, following police investigations in the financial hub Shanghai and the central cities of Changsha and Zhengzhou.
"The case involves a large number of people, a long period of time, a huge value and its circumstances are vile," it added.
No evidence of wrongdoing
It identified the employees only as "high officials" of the company and gave no details of the size of payments or who received them.
"After questioning, the suspects confessed to the crime,'' the statement said.
GSK said that it would cooperate with the authorities, but said Thursday's announcement was the first official communication it has received about the investigation.
"Corruption has no place in our business. If evidence of such activity is provided we would of course act swiftly on it," said a company statement.
The company said last month that it had investigated an accusation that its salespeople in China bribed doctors, but found no evidence of wrongdoing.
The company has said the police investigation might be based on information from the same anonymous source.
Last year, the British drugmaker, agreed to plead guilty to misdemeanor criminal charges, and paid $3bn to settle what government officials described as the largest case of healthcare fraud in US history.
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Courtney Beach is looking to increase her playing time and continue her strong finish from 2001. A tough competitor, Beach finds a way to make things happen on the court. She is the type of player who quietly gets things done and can keep things going when she?s on the floor. She will play primarily the middle blocker position in her third Frog campaign. In order to accomplish her goals this season, Beach will need to stay healthy.
2001 (Sophomore)
Beach fought some injuries during the fall, but earned more playing time in her second Frog campaign. She played in 20 matches and had six starts. The match at Southern Miss was a breakout one for Beach as she set career highs of 19 kills and 41 attacks in the Frogs? 3-1 loss. She also blasted five aces at UAB on Oct. 28. Beach led the team in kills, aces and blocks at UAB, in kills and attacks at Southern Miss, and in blocks at Tulane. She broke into the top five career list with an attack percentage of .217 over two seasons.
2000 (Freshman)
Beach saw very limited playing time in her first season, playing in only 10 games over three matches. She did post a quality 12 digs in a home match on Oct. 14 versus WAC rival Rice. Beach was injured throughout the fall ? first she was hurt at junior nationals, then recovered only to suffer a stress fracture during the season.
High School
Beach led her New Braunfels Canyon High School team deep into the 1999 playoffs before falling to teammate Tori Barlow?s Oak Ridge team in the state semifinals. Playing for coach Heather Sanders, Beach was a three-time first team all-district performer and led her team to the state?s regional finals each of those three years. She was a first team All-State selection in 1999 and was first team all-CenTex in 1999 and second team in 1998. Like Barlow, Beach was named to the Texas Girls? Coaches Association All-State team and was a TGCA Academic All-State honoree. She played club volleyball for Texas Block Party and coach Christy Dwyer.
Born Oct. 29, 1981, Courtney Beach is the daughter of Ricky and Patti Beach. She is a speech communication/public relations major at TCU.


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In the arms race that has become Big Ten basketball, Thad Matta is hoping to get ahead of the game with a long-armed project in the class of 2014.
A day after making an unofficial visit for Ohio State's game with Indiana, Garfield Heights big man Dave Bell was offered and accepted a scholarship from the Buckeyes, becoming the third player in the class of 2014 to commit to Matta's program.
Bell is averaging 17 points, 8 rebounds and 4 blocks a game at Garfield Heights, perennially one of the top programs in the Cleveland area. He entered the season as a mid-level prospect who previously visited Xavier and Kent State, but he's been growing — physically and as a player — and will now point towards a career in the Big Ten.
"He has a lot of growing still to do," Garfield Heights coach Sonny Johnson said Monday night, "but his upside is ridiculous."
Bell has grown around three inches over the past year or so, to 6'10, and has steadily improved since transferring to Garfield Heights from the Cleveland Municipal School District at the start of last school year. He's getting his game and his grades in order and could end up being a chance worth taking for Matta's program.
"He's long, he's lanky, he blocks shots with both hands and he's really just figuring it all out," Johnson said. "To think he'd be at Ohio State based on where he's come from is crazy. But if he keeps taking the challenge and working at it, he could end up being really, really good."


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|This information is provided free of charge by the Department of Industrial Relations from its web site at www.dir.ca.gov. These regulations are for the convenience of the user and no representation or warranty is made that the information is current or accurate. See full disclaimer at http://www.dir.ca.gov/od_pub/disclaimer.html.
|New query
NOTE: Authority cited: Sections 133, 139 and 139.2, Labor Code. Reference: Sections 139.2, 4060, 4061 and 4062, Labor Code.
1. New section filed 8-1-94; operative 8-31-94 (Register 94, No. 31).
2. Change without regulatory effect amending thrid paragraph filed 2-25-97 pursuant to section 100, title 1, California Code of Regulations (Register 97, No. 9).
3. Repealer filed 4-14-2000; operative 5-14-2000 (Register 2000, No. 15).
Go Back to Article 3 Table of Contents


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Advice on door to door promotion.
I plan on handing out my business card (design has received very positive reactions so far) at businesses but I feel like I need something to go with it. Something like a letter with my signature but I'm having a hard time writing one. I'm going to start with lawyers offices and realtors.
Any advice and links to template letters or something similar? I don't have letterhead.
- Join Date
- Jun 2002
- Location
- Winona, MN - The land of 10,000 lakes
- Posts
- 1,855
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You need a pitch, first.
If you just walk in and drop a business card, you might as well just drop it in the trash. You'll need to introduce yourself and have a 30 second "elevator" pitch to give them.
Once you get past that, then you should have some literature to give them and to discuss you services, the LAST thing you give them is a business card.
That said, pay attention to the "no solicitors" signs. When you see one of those, keep a little notebook and write down the address, names, and phone numbers, and call or mail them your info. Otherwise you could get into trouble.


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2013 promises to bring considerable uncertainty, as well as opportunity for the shipping and ports sector. While the U.S. economy appears to be on a slow path toward recovery from the Great Recession, Europe and Asia face challenges such that the long-term global trade outlook is for more tempered growth in global trade.
Significant new vessel deliveries in the near term, particularly for larger ships, will impact ocean carriers, and concerns that this may result in a prolonged period of overcapacity have many lines taking a very cautious approach. Because these trends contribute to increased freight rate volatility, carriers are likely to seek out new alliances and partnerships in an effort to achieve profitability.
Ports that enjoy such advantages as the financial strength coming from a diverse portfolio of business, proximity to major population centers resulting in big local markets, and the ability to offer efficient rail and highway intermodal connectivity will be best positioned to thrive and prosper in this dynamic and rapidly changing market.
Visit the Port of Tampa online.


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State: KarnatakaBest poll performance:Lok Sabha: 19 out of 28 seats (2009)Assembly: 110 out of 224 seats (2008)The BJP's hopes of rejuvenating itself in Karnataka through the return of former chief minister BS Yeddyurappa (BSY) may remain elusive.
If the BJP and BSY's Karnataka Janata Paksha do not merge, the former's attempts to retain at least 10 of the 19 seats it won in 2009 may fail. BSY may decide later, say BJP insiders. The CBI went slow when he split the BJP last year.
The Lingayat strongman, who had given hints of his keenness to return after Modi was named PM candidate, appears to be dragging his feet.
Once the buzz began about BSY's return, the CBI started arresting MLAs allegedly involved in illegal mining. This has also made the BJP nervous as it had taken the high moral stand of not compromising on corruption.
A senior BJP leader said the party would get the same drubbing in the Lok Sabha as in the assembly polls if BSY stayed away.
A divorce, a jail term, determined foes: Bihar CM Nitish Kumar fighting a lone battle?
The divorce between Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party and Nitish Kumar's Janata Dal(U) and a few days of change in residence for Rashtriya Janata Dal's Lalu Prasad – from 10, Circular Road in Patna to the Ranchi jail in Jharkhand – have totally changed the game that is played in Bihar.
Angry with the SP, convinced that the Congress is a losing proposition, unsure of AAP's ability to win, and fearful that Mayawati may ally with the BJP in the future, Muslims have a difficult choice.


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Maxi Climber
Climb or slide on this Maxi Climber, choose the configuration. 4 year non fading UV resistance protection. Measures 138 H x 355 W x 82cm D.
Availability: Available for Backorder
Product Details
- Product Information
A big play unit for the whole class to enjoy! The steps of the Climber can be turned over to form a slippery slide. The Maxi Climber is perfect for the home or for the centre, children will delight in creating cubbies inside the structure and choosing between the steps or the slide. Key developmental skills include motor, balance, co-ordination, and muscle strength. Ideal for encouraging socialisation and interactions between peers. With a four year non-fading UV resistant protection this climber is a fantastic purchase. Assembly required. Measures 355 L x 138 H x 82cm W. Made in Australia. Undersurfacing required.
Key Features Best Seller, Made in Australia Assembled Height (cm) 138 Assembled Depth (cm) 82 Assembled Width (cm) 355 2014 Learning Resource Catalogue Page/s 531
What does this
product encourage?
- Skill Building
- Ego Building
- Reviews ( 0 )


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Pay as you go:
Great news - your phone is already set-up to be used abroad, you don't need to do anything except relax and enjoy your trip, although you may want to top-up before you go.
Pay monthly:
To check whether your phone is already set up to use abroad, sign in to Your Account or call us on 150 from your Orange phone (07973 100 150 from any other phone) and follow the instructions. You'll need to call us at least 24 hours before you leave the UK to get set up, but if you're leaving within the next 24 hours give us a ring anyway and we'll do everything we can to help.
There's no connection fee or monthly charge to set up your phone, but connection is subject to status and we may ask for a deposit.
You only need to set up your phone once. After that, it's always ready to use abroad.


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The Evolution of a Fan
Somehow, every year that BIONICLE existed, I was able to get every set from every wave. Once I had gotten every 2002 set, every 2001 set (they still sold 'em in '02) then got every 2003 set, it took on a life of its own. I felt as if I had gotten too far into the collection to turn away, past a point of no return. In the world of business, this is a phenomenon known as "escalation of commitment." If BIONICLE was still going, I'd still probably be a completist.
It wasn't just the sets, though; I was enthralled with the story as well. I'd memorize every new bit of story I could get my hands on. I remember thinking about how so incredibly epic the Rahkshi were (*gasp* knee articulation!) and wondering how they could possibly make the story any cooler. Whether or not they succeeded is a point of contention amongst fans, but I found 2004 to be a pinnacle of awesomeness when it arrived. (*gasp* Elbow articulation!)
At some point, subconsciously at least, it became something I did simply because I did it, and the sheer inertia of the tradition was enough impetus for me to continue doing so, year after year. It became a game. I waited until the sets went on sale and scrounged them up. 2009 was especially like this, and marked a sea-change in my time as a LEGO fan. I still enjoyed building the sets, no doubt about it, but I began a transformation. For the most part, I avoided the Bara Magna story. I simply had no interest in learning it like I had learned the story of previous years. It wasn't an active avoidance, not at first - I just lost interest, plain and simple. I still watched TLR and figured out that Metus was the traitor, but I never got myself into any other '09 story.
Then 2010 came along, and with it came confirmation of the dreaded rumors surrounding the end of BIONICLE as we knew it - and I felt fine. Of course, I felt an obligatory twinge of sadness at the loss of something that had been a constant throughout most of my life, but I recognized what I unconsciously had for so long: I had lost interest in the BIONICLE story to the point where I didn't care what direction it went in. What I was a fan of transformed from story to the building system. I cared about the parts in the sets, not the sets or story. That's why it makes no difference to me what LEGO decides to call their main constraction line. Hero Factory's sets are the natural continuation of BIONICLE's sets. I couldn't care less about the story.
The MOCs that I built, beginning in 2004, became the single most defining aspect of BIONICLE, its constraction line cousins, and LEGO in general. As I drifted away from the story, it was replaced by a renewed sense of enthusiasm for the LEGO system of building, the virtues of which I must extol in another entry, for it is too long and tangential to put here.
Oddly, I'm not particularly nostalgic for those olden times when story and sets mattered significantly to me. Greg's recent story revelations failed send the expected waves of nostalgia over me. I view it as closure, and I'm certainly glad we have it, but I don't want BIONICLE back. Let's face it, ladies and gentlemen: BIONICLE's return would most likely suck, as it would be a continuation of the downhill trend it exhibited in its waning years. It would be like Hero Factory all the way around: similar sets, simplistic story, etc. (Well, maybe it'd be like Ninjago a bit ... but that's another entry.)
My evolution as a fan of LEGO is, statistically speaking, rather stark: I haven't purchased a constraction set since 2010, when I got most of the first Hero Factory wave. Despite the interesting parts, I was unimpressed, and I swore off completeism - not like I really had to or anything. Since then, I've gone completely cold turkey on official sets. I've certainly gotten my fair share of parts from both part orders and BrickFair vendors, but I really have no interest in the new sets themselves. When new LEGO catalogs arrive, I'll only nonchalantly flip through them if I have nothing else better to do. Many times, I'll just recycle them.
Can LEGO get back to those olden days? I don't know. We'll just have to see.
But even if they do, I don't expect to return to my old days of completeism ever again.
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|KDOC Inmate Release Notifications to Feb. 18, 2012
|Written by MCSO
|Wednesday, 22 February 2012
Tony Ridner, age 31, sentenced to 1 year for Assault under Extreme Emotional Disturbance. Received 1/23/12, released on minimum expiration 2/13/12. Time served: 21 days.
Shanna Renee Baird, age 27, sentenced to 3 years for Fleeing/Evading Police 1st Degree, Theft by Unlawful Taking, and Criminal Mischief 1st Degree. Received 10/4/11, released on Mandatory Reentry Supervision 2/6/12. Time served: 4 months 2 days.
The date received, date released, and time served in the KDOC Release Notifications only reflect time in the Kentucky Department of Corrections system. Time served in county detention centers prior to sentencing or transfer is not included.
|Last Updated ( Wednesday, 22 February 2012 )


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Your 2013/2014 Homecoming Queen is Emma Branton, who is the daughter of Ronnie & Dona Branton. Emma plays forward for the LadyCats and plans to attend ECU then OU for a degree in Engineering. Emma says her favorite memory of her senior year so far is "becoming friends with so many new people". Congratulations Emma!
Lately it has been questioned as to the need for drug dogs in our county. Are they worth it? I will lay out some facts and figures and let you be the judge.
Pushmataha County has had certified drug dogs available since June 23, 2012. These dogs are owned and handled by individual deputies (they are not owned by the Sheriff's Department). The Push Co Sheriff didn't pay for these animals. These dogs have bullet and stab proof vests. Again, the Sheriff's office didn't pay for this equipment. It was donated by larger departments.
We're into the heart of show season in Oklahoma. In the fall we were trying to make everyone aware of the influenza issue and to ask them to take measures to not spread that disease. We all worked together to prepare for and prevent problems with that virus.
We have many great volunteers here in Pushmataha County. One of them we would like to acknowledge is Madge (Franks) Gentry.
Madge is not only a native of Antlers but a graduate of Antlers High School. Madge has three sons who also graduated from Antlers High School.
While working for the school district she also coached KYI softball teams for a number of years. Since retirement Madge has generously served on the Antlers City Council as Council Member, Vice-Mayor and Mayor.
County Commissioner of District #3, Jimmy Long, has stated that he will not seek reelection when his team expires at the end of this year. Health issues and the stress of the job are contributing factors in his decision.
"After walking in their shoes," stated Long, "I have a lot of respect for all the past commissioners.
Long is in the seventy year of his two year service and has accomplished quite a lot during this time. He sought and obtained new source of revenue to fund the many projects that the north end of the county has needed, including replacing over 40 bridges.


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Analysts' Actions: BIIB FSLR GOOG LNKD
NEW YORK ( TheStreet) -- CHANGE IN RATINGS
Biogen Idec (BIIB) was upgraded at Canaccord Genuity to buy. $187 price target. Expect an early launch for TEC, Canaccord Genuity said.
CoreSite Realty (COR) was upgraded to buy at TheStreet Ratings.
Darden (DHI) was upgraded at Bank of America/Merrill Lynch to neutral from underperform. $50 price target. Commitment to raise dividend trumps lower guidance, BofA/Merrill said.DigitalGlobe (DGI) was upgraded to buy at TheStreet Ratings. First Cash Financial Services (FCFS) was downgraded at Jefferies to hold from buy. Downgrading to hold on valuation, Jefferies said. First Solar (FSLR) was downgraded at Robert Baird from outperform to neutral. $25 price target. Management has limited near-term visibility, Robert Baird said. First Solar was downgraded at Bank of America/Merrill Lynch to underperform from buy. $25 price target. Solid results, disappointing outlook. Google (GOOG) was upgraded at Bank of America/Merrill Lynch to buy. $920 price target. Expect the company to expand margins in the coming quarters, BofA/Merrill said. GrafTech International (GTI) was downgraded at Goldman Sachs to sell from neutral. $5.50 price target. Worsening electrode oversupply structural issue, Goldman said. Graftech was downgraded at J.P. Morgan to neutral. The company lacks earnings leverage, J.P. Morgan said. Invensense (INVN) was downgraded at Robert Baird from outperform to neutral. Valuation call, based on a $13 price target, Baird said. Lincoln National (LNC) was upgraded at Bank of America/Merrill Lynch. $34 price target. Company has the lowest multiple in the industry, BofA/Merrill said. LinkedIn (LNKD) was initiated with a buy rating at Wunderlich. $195 price target. Company has a large competitive advantage and solid revenue visibility, Wunderlich said. Allscripts (MDRX) was upgraded at Credit Suisse from neutral to outperform. $15 price target. New management can stabilize the business, Credit Suisse said. Norwegian Cruise Line (NCLH) was initiated with a neutral rating at Goldman Sachs. $28 price target. Best in class, but valuation on an even keel, Goldman said. Norwegian Cruise (NCLH) was initiated with an overweight rating at J.P. Morgan. $36 price target. Company can continue to increase price and yields, J.P. Morgan said. Oceaneering (OII) was upgraded at Sterne Agee from neutral to buy. $75 price target. Company can generate robust earnings and cash flow over the next several years, Sterne Agee said.
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