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More on Oklahoma City Bombing
Undercover: The Howe Revelations
To a tight circle of federal law enforcement
officials she was known as Confidential Informant 53270-183, or more
commonly, CI-183. To her "comrades" in the neo-Nazi and "Christian
Identity" movements -- whom the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms
(ATF) and FBI had asked her to infiltrate and surveil -- she was known
by the noms de guerre "Freya" and "Lady MacBeth." During the
trial of Timothy McVeigh for the Oklahoma City bombing, she became more
widely known in press accounts by her real name: Carol Elizabeth Howe.
That is the name affixed to the ATF's "Informant
Agreement" of August 25, 1994, signed by Miss Howe and Special Agent
Angela Finley (now Angela Finley-Graham) of the ATF's Tulsa, Oklahoma
office. McVeigh's defense team had sought to have Howe testify
concerning her allegations that she had warned her federal supervisors
prior to the bombing that subjects of her investigation were planning to
bomb federal buildings, including the one in Oklahoma City. But jurors
in the Denver trial of McVeigh never heard Carol Howe's name mentioned
in court, nor did they hear her testimony. Federal prosecutors filed
motions to prevent her appearance as a defense witness.
"Irrelevant" Witness
U.S. District Judge Richard Matsch ruled for the
prosecution in a May 27th decision that found Miss Howe's testimony
"irrelevant" to the McVeigh trial. At the time, Judge Matsch's ruling
was astounding, since the "relevance" of Howe's testimony is facially
obvious. It was federal prosecutors, after all, who had entered into
evidence the records of a telephone debit card registered to Timothy
McVeigh under the name "Daryl Bridges." Among the calls listed was one
placed two weeks before the bombing, at 1:46 p.m. on April 5th, to
Elohim City, the main target of Howe's undercover work. The intended
recipient of that call was Andreas Strassmeir, whom Howe had identified
before the bombing as one who was plotting to blow up federal buildings
and carry out shootings, assassinations, and other acts of violence.
Strassmeir has admitted in an affidavit to having met McVeigh at a gun
show and having purchased materials from him.
However, there is considerable evidence indicating
a much more substantial connection. Witnesses in Herington, Kansas, for
instance, where McVeigh once lived and where his co-defendant Terry
Nichols still lived at the time of the bombing, state that Strassmeir
was a friend of McVeigh. The McVeigh/Bridges call to Strassmeir at
Elohim City takes on even more relevance by virtue of the fact that it
was placed from the same phone (at the Kingman, Arizona motel where
McVeigh was staying), and on the same calling card, less than two
minutes after a call to the Ryder Truck Rental agency.
Even more astonishing evidence supporting Howe's
charges was revealed in Howe's own trial in Tulsa, which concluded with
a complete acquittal on all counts on August 1st. Howe's attorney, Clark
O. Brewster, had claimed that the federal government's prosecution of
Howe for the very actions that she had been contracted to carry out as
an undercover operative was reprehensible and obviously "retaliatory,"
intended to dissuade her from revealing potentially damaging information
she has about the bombing.
Howe had been charged with possession of an
illegal explosive device, conspiracy to make a bomb threat, and making a
bomb threat (see our August 4th issue). THE NEW
AMERICAN has obtained and examined copies of ATF reports
and documents, along with other evidence and testimony revealed during
the trial. (Many of these are now available for examination on our
Internet web site at www.jbs.org/okc/Howe/) Our analysis of this
material, combined with our interviews of key participants, supports Mr.
Brewster's charge and indicates that the jury was correct in finding
Howe innocent of all charges. It also indicates that ATF, FBI, Justice,
and Treasury officials engaged in a long train of misrepresentation,
cover-up, deception, and outright lying concerning the Carol Howe case
and the Oklahoma City bombing. Most importantly, evidence and testimony
presented during the trial, together with government documents, go a
long way toward proving Miss Howe's claims of having provided specific
prior warning to her supervisors.
Perhaps the only thing more reprehensible than the
mistreatment, betrayal, and endangerment of informant Howe by federal
officials is the near total blackout of the Howe trial by the national
media. Although hundreds of correspondents covered the McVeigh trial in
Denver and were aware of the enormous potential impact of Carol Howe's
testimony, almost every major news organization ignored the Tulsa trial.
With the exception of the Tulsa World, which provided
extensive coverage (and surprisingly fair reporting, considering the
World's pronounced antipathy for all those who question the
official government line on the bombing), this important story was
spiked, or received only trivial attention from the Establishment
opinion cartel.
Investigating WAR
On August 30, 1994, Agent Angela Finley filed her
preliminary report on Carol Howe (CI-183) and ATF Investigation No.
53270-94-0124-B. Entitled White Aryan Resistance, W.A.R.,
it states: "This is an opening report in the investigation of the White
Aryan Resistance and the violation of federal firearms and conspiracy
laws in various counties in the Northern Judicial District of Oklahoma."
The ATF had contacted Howe after learning that she
had filed a crime report with the Tulsa Police Department against a
leader of WAR, Tulsa resident Dennis Mahon, for threats he had made
against her. Miss Howe had also obtained a court restraining order
against Mahon. Agent Angela Finley's August 30th report continues:
On August 24, 1994 this agent met with CI-183 in
the Tulsa ATF Field Office and discussed in great detail the federal
firearms and conspiracy violations of the White Aryan Resistance, "W.A.R."
The following information pertaining to W.A.R.
was provided by CI-183:
W.A.R. is a white supremacist organization that
is described briefly as being radical, paramilitary, neo-Nazi,
anti-government and violent. W.A.R. has national and international
affiliates to include the KKK and a racist following in Germany. W.A.R.
affiliates with John Metzger, who is a widely known white supremacist
with the KKK. W.A.R. has approximately 20-25 active, 50 non-active,
and 200 underground members locally. When a group of "legals" reaches
a membership of 5 to 15 people, it will separate to form another
group. This is done to protect the members from any government action
such as search warrants and infiltration.
On August 24, 1994 this agent met with CI-183 in
the Tulsa ATF Field Office and discussed in great detail the federal
firearms and conspiracy violations of the White Aryan Resistance, "W.A.R."
The following information pertaining to W.A.R.
was provided by CI-183:
W.A.R. is a white supremacist organization that
is described briefly as being radical, paramilitary, neo-Nazi,
anti-government and violent. W.A.R. has national and international
affiliates to include the KKK and a racist following in Germany. W.A.R.
affiliates with John Metzger, who is a widely known white supremacist
with the KKK. W.A.R. has approximately 20-25 active, 50 non-active,
and 200 underground members locally. When a group of "legals" reaches
a membership of 5 to 15 people, it will separate to form another
group. This is done to protect the members from any government action
such as search warrants and infiltration.
Agent Finley's report also notes that "W.A.R. has
several training sites in Oklahoma. The primary training location is
called Elohim City which is in a rural area near the border of Oklahoma
and Arkansas." Finley concludes this initial report by recounting that
CI-183 provided her with a videotape of Mahon making statements "that he
was a member of the Klan; that violence is the only answer; that
violence does work; and that he supports violence against politicians."
The report, on what the ATF refers to as a
standard 3270.2 form, was directed to Special Agent in Charge (SAC) of
the Dallas Field Division, Lester D. Martz. It was signed by Agent
Finley; by David E. Roberts, the Resident Agent in Charge (RAC) of the
Tulsa Field Office; and by Tommy Wittman for SAC Lester Martz in Dallas.
According to former top ATF official Robert Sanders, it is very
significant that the report -- and others that followed -- was
specifically designated "sensitive" and "significant" rather than
routine, and that the investigation was specified as one concerning
"terrorist/extremist" individuals and groups. These designations would
guarantee that this investigation was being closely monitored at the
highest levels in Washington, DC, Sanders told THE NEW
AMERICAN. Sanders, who served for 24 years in the
ATF, where he held every supervisory position including that of ATF
Assistant Director, the agency's number two spot, also testified as an
expert witness for the defense during the Howe trial.
Enter "Andy"
In her second report on Carol Howe, filed
September 26, 1994, Finley records that "183 met Andy LNU [last name
unknown]" during a September 2nd trip to Elohim City. Andy was described
as "a German male, who is head of security for Elohim City." Moreover,
"Andy also told 183 that there exists a black market dealer who can get
grenades, C-4 and a range of explosives." And, in what was apparently a
"loyalty test," Andy "made 183 crawl on the ground under barbed wire
while he fired his .45 at 183's feet." Andy, as veteran readers of THE
NEW AMERICAN are already aware, turns out
to be a very important and mysterious connection to Timothy McVeigh and
the Oklahoma City bombing.
In the same report, Finley writes that Dennis
Mahon "gave 183 approximately 2 feet of green safety fuse, a can of gun
powder and a plastic funnel," and said he would "instruct 183 how to
assemble hand grenades." Mahon also told 183 "that the race war would
begin" in 1995 and they "need to prepare for it."
On January 11, 1995, more than three months before
the Oklahoma City bombing, Agent Finley filed a status report which has
startling relevance to the bombing. It states:
On December 19, 1994 this agent learned the
identity of "Andy" who is said to be the head of security at Elohim
City. He is actually Andreas Karl Strassmeir, a West German, DOB
051759. This agent then contacted the INS in Oklahoma City and was
informed that according to their records Strassmeir is an illegal
alien. Strassmeir entered the United States in May of 1991 and was
scheduled to leave August of 1991, however, according to records
Strassmeir has not left the country. It should be noted that
Strassmeir always carries a .45 pistol.
On December 19, 1994 this agent learned the
identity of "Andy" who is said to be the head of security at Elohim
City. He is actually Andreas Karl Strassmeir, a West German, DOB
051759. This agent then contacted the INS in Oklahoma City and was
informed that according to their records Strassmeir is an illegal
alien. Strassmeir entered the United States in May of 1991 and was
scheduled to leave August of 1991, however, according to records
Strassmeir has not left the country. It should be noted that
Strassmeir always carries a .45 pistol.
In the same report, Agent Finley relays to her
superiors Howe's intelligence that Strassmeir was drilling his Elohim
City "troops" in "combat maneuvers," that they were "camping outside in
14 degree weather," and that Strassmeir's troops "were forced to swim in
a creek in these frigid temperatures." "Each household is required to be
stockpiling ammunition," she writes, and Robert Millar, the founder and
head of Elohim City, "gave a sermon soliciting violence against the US
government." "He brought forth his soldiers and instructed them to take
whatever action necessary against the US Government," reads the ATF
account. "He stated that certain groups from Texas, Missouri, Arkansas
and Oklahoma will be uniting as one front to fight the government," it
continues, noting that Millar "explicitly told 183 that they were
preparing to fight a war against the government."
"Arm of the Lord"
Significantly, this ATF report and others which
preceded it mention the resurrection of another militant group
associated with Elohim City, the Covenant, Sword and Arm of the Lord
(CSA), which had engaged in an armed standoff with federal authorities a
decade before and had been involved in an earlier plot to bomb the
Murrah Building in Oklahoma City. In fact, Millar's son-in-law, James
Ellison, a CSA leader, was due to return to Elohim City in April, after
completing a prison sentence related to those earlier activities. And,
at the same time, another CSA leader, Richard Snell, was due to be
executed for the murder of an Arkansas Highway Patrol officer.
("Reverend" Millar, acting as Snell's "spiritual adviser," would journey
to Arkansas and bring back "martyr" Snell's body for burial at Elohim
City after his execution on April 19, 1995, the same day as the Oklahoma
City bombing.)
The report states that "183 met Keith Bowel, a
former CSA who stated that many members of CSA have stayed together and
are living in Sparta, MO. Ellison is still planning to visit EC [Elohim
City] in April and is expected to round up his followers in order to
reconstruct CSA." Howe was invited to join CSA and was told "that
Ellison will have a militia with fully automatic firearms and that he
intends to have fewer followers to insure a stronger community."
On February 7, 1995, Finley reported that she,
along with ATF technician Pat McKinley and acting Special Agent in
Charge Tommy Wittman, flew with Oklahoma Highway Patrol pilot Ken
Stafford over Elohim City to take photographs and video. Later, on
February 22nd, Finley met with Stafford to exchange information
regarding the investigation. Her report states:
Trooper Stafford indicated that the FBI also had
an ongoing investigation regarding Elohim City. On this same date, RAC
David Roberts met with the United States Attorney for the Northern
Judicial District of Oklahoma, Steve Lewis, to discuss this
On February 23, 1995 RAC David Roberts was
contacted by FBI supervisor, Marty Webber, who stated that FBI Special
Agent in Charge, Bob Ricks, would be available during the week of
February 27 through March 03, 1995 to meet with ATF Special Agent in
Charge, Lester Martz. RAC Roberts then contacted Dallas Division to
request SAC Martz meet with SAC Ricks to discuss the investigation of
Elohim City.
Trooper Stafford indicated that the FBI also had
an ongoing investigation regarding Elohim City. On this same date, RAC
David Roberts met with the United States Attorney for the Northern
Judicial District of Oklahoma, Steve Lewis, to discuss this
On February 23, 1995 RAC David Roberts was
contacted by FBI supervisor, Marty Webber, who stated that FBI Special
Agent in Charge, Bob Ricks, would be available during the week of
February 27 through March 03, 1995 to meet with ATF Special Agent in
Charge, Lester Martz. RAC Roberts then contacted Dallas Division to
request SAC Martz meet with SAC Ricks to discuss the investigation of
Elohim City.
High-Level Interest
Robert Sanders and other veteran federal law
enforcement officials confirm what common sense tells anyone who
examines the ATF reports: Elohim City was under intense scrutiny by
federal agencies at the top levels of management. According to Sanders,
the intelligence coming out of Elohim City -- illegal explosives and
firearms, illegal aliens, planned terrorism, groups and individuals with
a history of violence, incendiary rhetoric -- together with the rare
interagency action between the FBI and ATF indicate that this
information would go not only to the heads of the Treasury and Justice
Departments, but also to the White House and the National Security
Council. The activities mentioned in the ATF reports have "such a high
potential for affecting national security," Sanders said, that they
would demand monitoring from policymakers in Washington, not merely the
local and regional officials.
On April 20, 1995, the day after the bomb attack
on the Murrah Building, Angela Finley was contacted by Howe, who stated
her belief that Elohim City residents were connected to the crime. The
following day Finley and another ATF agent transported Howe to the FBI's
bomb investigation headquarters in Oklahoma City where, Finley reported:
"CI-183 was debriefed by Special Agents from ATF and FBI. A lead sheet
was then completed. It was then determined that CI-183 would be sent to
Elohim City to obtain any intelligence relating to the bombing."
On May 1st, Howe traveled to Elohim City on her
undercover mission. She returned on May 3rd and was again debriefed by
ATF and FBI agents. According to Agent Finley's ATF report, Howe was
told by an Elohim City resident, "There is a big secret out here." Howe
also "stated that individuals spoken with were supportive of the bombing
of the building in Oklahoma City."
Prime Evidence
In its case against Carol Howe, the federal
government contended that Howe had not provided any specific warning
prior to April 19, 1995 about Strassmeir or other Elohim City residents
planning to blow up federal buildings. Government prosecutors also
insisted that Howe was deactivated after June 1995 and that she was not
working as a government informant when indicted on March 11th of this
year for the explosives, conspiracy, and bomb threat charges. The value
of her work as an informant was denigrated, and she was described as
unstable. Assistant U.S. Attorney Neal Kirkpatrick called the
26-year-old Howe "the poster girl" for "conspiracy theorists" who
believe the government is trying to cover up information about prior
warning at the Murrah Building, which killed 168 people. Federal
authorities attempted to present Howe as a dangerous neo-Nazi and
violent skinhead sympathizer. The government also attempted to suppress
any evidence or testimony by Howe concerning the bombing of the Murrah
However, the government's own records and
testimony by government officials during cross-examination revealed
these alarming facts:
• ATF Agent Finley-Graham admitted that Howe had
warned of bombing threats against federal buildings before the April 19,
1995 bombing.
• Government records show that Carol Howe was
indeed carried as an informant up through the time of her arrest.
• The government produced no records to support
the claim that Howe was dropped as an informant and nothing to
contradict Howe's claim that she was never told she was being dropped.
• ATF reports describe Howe as "the key" witness
tying Elohim City to the OKC bombing, and refer to her as "stable and
• The FBI blew Howe's cover and then refused to
provide her with protection.
• Federal reports show that officials knew their
actions had put their informant's life in grave danger.
• After being exposed by her superiors and denied
protection, Howe opted to burrow deeper -- and more convincingly -- into
the neo-Nazi movement, as a matter of survival.
The government's assertion that Howe did not
continue as an informant after June 1995 is refuted by many of the
government's own records. One of those is an ATF report by Angela
Finley-Graham dated January 31, 1996 which states: "It is requested that
CI 53270-183 be retained as an active informant. It was requested by the
Dallas Division office that this informant be retained as an active
informant for the duration of the Oklahoma City bombing investigation."
(Emphasis added.)
Another important document in this respect is the
April 22, 1996 memorandum from Agent Finley-Graham to the Special Agent
in Charge of the Dallas Field Division regarding the danger to Howe. It
states: "This informant is involved with the OKC bomb case which is
pending prosecution in Denver and was the key in identifying individuals
at Elohim City, which is tied to the OKC bomb case." This clearly
shows that: a) Howe was officially acknowledged as an active informant
in April 1996; b) she was "the key," i.e. considered important and
reliable; and c) Elohim City was considered to be "tied to the OKC bomb
Disturbing Questions
Under cross-examination, ATF Agent Angela
Finley-Graham admitted that Howe was listed as an "active informant" for
the ATF through December 18, 1996, but offered an interesting
explanation for that status. Graham and federal prosecutors argued that
removing her from the official listing might have led to the destruction
of records concerning the Oklahoma City bombing. That was especially
intriguing and troubling because it left unanswered who would
have destroyed which records, and why any records
concerning the deadliest terrorist attack on American soil would have
been destroyed, especially while the investigation is ongoing and a
trial is pending.
Also left unanswered were these important
questions: What happened to Agent Finley's December 1994 status report
on CI-183? Was it destroyed? Did that report contain, as some sources
indicate to us, Howe's specific warnings about the planned April attack
on the Oklahoma City federal building? Like so much of the crucial
evidence at Waco that conveniently "disappeared," the December report
may be permanently "lost."
However, Finley-Graham did admit in an April 24th
pre-trial hearing that Howe told her before the Oklahoma bombing that
Strassmeir had threatened to blow up federal buildings. "Ms. Howe told
you about Mr. Strassmeir's threats to blow up federal buildings, didn't
she?" Howe's ATF supervisor was asked by defense counsel Brewster. "In
general, yes," Finley-Graham answered. "And that was before the Oklahoma
City bombing?" "Yes," she answered again. It is important to note that
Carol Howe and her attorney were limited by Judge Burrage's pre-trial
instructions concerning evidence of her prior warnings to the
government. The following exchange between Burrage and Brewster is taken
from the transcript of the closed April 24th hearing:
Burrage: Well, let me just ask you this, Mr.
Brewster. A lot of this makes for good conversation, like the trip to
Oklahoma City, you know, before the bombing and so forth and it makes
for sensationalism, and I don't know that it really has anything to do
with the Oklahoma City bombing, but I saw where you were coming from.
With that McVeigh trial going on, I don't want anything getting out of
here that would compromise that trial in any way.
Mr. Brewster: What do you mean by compromise? Do
you mean shared with the McVeigh lawyers?
Burrage: Yes, or something that would come up --
you know, we have got evidence that the ATF took a trip with somebody
that said buildings were going to be blown up in Oklahoma City before
it was blown up or something of that nature, and try to connect it to
McVeigh in some way or something.
Burrage: Well, let me just ask you this, Mr.
Brewster. A lot of this makes for good conversation, like the trip to
Oklahoma City, you know, before the bombing and so forth and it makes
for sensationalism, and I don't know that it really has anything to do
with the Oklahoma City bombing, but I saw where you were coming from.
With that McVeigh trial going on, I don't want anything getting out of
here that would compromise that trial in any way.
Mr. Brewster: What do you mean by compromise? Do
you mean shared with the McVeigh lawyers?
Burrage: Yes, or something that would come up --
you know, we have got evidence that the ATF took a trip with somebody
that said buildings were going to be blown up in Oklahoma City before
it was blown up or something of that nature, and try to connect it to
McVeigh in some way or something.
During Carol Howe's trial, the defense was limited
to making only general references to Howe's prior warning concerning the
bombing, and then only insofar as was necessary to Brewster's defense
theory. As evidence that Howe was truly planning to engage in terrorist
bombings, the government had cited her notes, which among other things,
listed 18 bombing targets -- Muslim, Jewish, Native American, and
government buildings -- in the Tulsa area. Brewster's defense theory
argued that Howe "believed she had sufficiently warned the government,
such that, when the [Oklahoma City] bombing occurred, she felt that she
had failed and therefore needed to keep more careful notes." In support
of that theory, Brewster provided the jury with pre-marked copies of
Agent Finley's ATF reports and walked them through some of the important
information therein related to Carol Howe's warnings about Strassmeir,
Mahon, and others. He then put Howe on the stand and asked her in a very
general sense if, based on what she had told Finley and what had
appeared in the ATF reports, she felt she had provided sufficient
information for the ATF to conduct an investigation that would have
confirmed that a bombing of the Murrah Building was about to take place.
Howe said, "Yes."
The prosecution then began cross-examination of
Howe by indicating it was going to challenge her claims of forewarning.
At that point Mr. Brewster asked for a bench conference. When he
returned from that conference, the prosecutor took an entirely different
tack and did not confront Howe on the matter of prior warning. So what
was said in that conference that had such an impact on the prosecution's
line of questioning? We asked Mr. Brewster. He explained: "I simply
said, 'Your Honor, out of deference to your Honor's struggle with the
decision as to whether I could get into that topic, I want you to know
that I very generally touched upon it with this witness, but Carol is
sitting here today cocked and loaded to discuss that, and I just want
the prosecutor to know that I didn't get into it, but I'm giving
him full right to do so and I have no objection, but I want him to know
that she will get into it if he opens it up.'" The point was well
taken. The defense had put the government on notice that it could not
hit and run. If the prosecution was going to attack its confidential
informant's credibility on this specific matter, the defendant would
have the right during re-direct to answer with specifics, and the
government could not object on grounds that her testimony would
jeopardize the bombing trials or some other investigation. The
prosecution retreated.
Sufficient Evidence
So, will Carol Howe publicly divulge specifics
about her warnings now that her trial is over? Not just yet. She is
scheduled to testify before the Oklahoma County Grand Jury which was
convened through the grassroots efforts of citizens to investigate all
aspects of the bombing, including charges of prior warning and official
misconduct and cover-up.
But what is in the official record already from
the Howe trial alone should be more than sufficient to convince even the
most hardened skeptic that we are witnessing an official cover-up of
enormous proportions concerning the worst terrorist act in our nation's
history. If John Huang, James McDougal, Charlie Trie, Nora Lum, James
Riady, and other "donors" in the various "Moneygate" scandals being
investigated by Congress are potential landmines for the Clinton
Administration, Carol Howe is a potential nuclear bomb.
Time after time during the trial, the claims of
Agent Finley-Graham and other ATF and FBI officials were proven false
and the claims of Howe proven true. Finley-Graham and the prosecutors,
for instance, charged that they were concerned about Howe's loyalty
because she was improperly "mixing" with local skinheads and not
relaying what she knew of their activities. However, defense attorney
Clark Brewster introduced evidence that Howe had provided Finley with at
least two tapes of phone conversations with local "skins" as well as
their names and addresses. "How much more specific information than
names and phone numbers do you need?" Brewster asked Finley-Graham.
What's more, Finley herself had listed Howe's association with the
Hammerskins, a Tulsa skinhead group, on an ATF form in May 1995, and
immediately below that entry affirmed that Howe had provided "reliable"
and "verified" information in the past. ATF records also show that Howe
passed a polygraph and was deemed "truthful." Finley-Graham also
admitted in court that Howe had given her a copy of The Turner
Diaries months before the bombing and repeatedly insisted that
she read it since it was "the Bible" of the neo-Nazi movement and a
handbook on their strategy and tactics. Federal prosecutors later would
claim that this novel had a tremendous impact on McVeigh and provided a
blueprint for the truck-bomb scenario of the Murrah Building.
"A Very Good Informant"
On the witness stand, Finley-Graham implied that
Howe was ineffective as an informant and never provided evidence that
resulted in the conviction of a "target." But former ATF official Robert
Sanders told THE NEW AMERICAN he found that assertion incredible. Howe
provided authorities, he said, with specific intelligence "on dozens,
maybe hundreds of serious crimes," yet "there is no evidence that they
did anything with her information." It is not the informant's job, he
pointed out, to arrest and prosecute. In the case of Strassmeir alone,
Sanders pointed out, Howe provided information that the German illegal
alien constructed, possessed, and detonated illegal explosive devices,
and "each of those offenses is a federal felony carrying a ten-year
sentence." Incredibly, Strassmeir was not even questioned by the FBI or
ATF and was allowed to flee the country in January 1996, eight months
after the bombing.
Then there is the damning evidence Howe provided
on Mahon. "According to Howe, Mahon set off a 500-pound ANFO bomb,"
noted Sanders. "That is a big bomb. How many people in this
country have ever done that? Not many, I can guarantee you. The ATF and
FBI would definitely want to question him about that, especially
after Oklahoma City. But there's no evidence that they ever did."
In Sanders' estimation, Carol Howe was "a very
good informant." "She is obviously intelligent, resourceful, cool and
convincing under pressure," and has a good sense for "the kind of
detailed information that is most helpful" to law enforcement and
prosecutors. Besides making 38 audio cassettes and two videotapes for
her ATF and FBI handlers, she also provided voluminous information on
the identities and relationships of residents and visitors at Elohim
City, organizational charts and family trees, telephone numbers, vehicle
license plate numbers, types and quantities of explosives and firearms,
meetings with other violent extremist groups, drawings of tattoos, and
much more. In return for this very courageous work under extremely
difficult and dangerous circumstances, Carol Howe was "outed" by her own
superiors and left to fend for herself.
An ATF report by Agent Finley-Graham dated April
1, 1996 leaves no doubt that authorities knew Howe had been put in grave
danger. It states: "On March 29, 1996 this agent received a telephone
call from S/A Harry Eberhardt," who "stated that the identity of CI
53270-183 had been severely compromised" due to the release of a report
by FBI agent James R. Blanchard II which "contained the formal name of
CI 53270-183," as well as other sensitive information about Howe. The
report says that "S/A Eberhardt stated that he became irate because it
was apparent that nothing was going to be done in an effort to rectify
the problem or at least provide help for the safety of CI 53270-183."
Finley-Graham wrote that she "immediately telephoned CI 53270-183 and
informed him/her that their name had been disclosed and that he/she
should take every precaution for their safety.... This agent told the CI
that anything and everything will be done to insure his/her safety."
But that turned out to be an empty promise. A memo
by Finley-Graham dated April 22, 1996 notes: "The FBI is the lead agency
on this case, however, many other federal, state and local agencies
are involved." (Emphasis added.) Still, with all that police power
involved, Howe was given no protection. The same April memo asserts:
"Individuals who pose immediate danger to CI 53270-183 are: (1) Dennis
Mahon, (2) members of Elohim City, and (3) any sympathizer to McVeigh...."
Finley-Graham concluded by saying she has "known CI 53270-183 for
approximately two years and can assert that this informant has not been
overly paranoid or fearful during undercover operations. This agent
believes that s/he could be in serious danger when associates discover
his/her identity."
Indeed, one of Finley's earliest reports on Elohim
City recounts that Mahon "stated that he would kill any informant." (In
fact, that may have been what Mahon had in mind when he sent Howe on a
"night reconnaissance mission" in a secluded, rural area -- straight
into the arms of a black gang, whose members pistol-whipped Howe and cut
her with a knife.) In spite of this acknowledged "serious danger," the
feds left their outed informant unprotected. According to trial
testimony, Finley-Graham, like Eberhardt, was angry with the FBI, both
for compromising Howe and for failing to give her security afterward.
FBI agent Pete Rickel admitted on the stand that Miss Howe had come to
him in May 1996 seeking protection, but he had offered none. In fact, he
said he didn't even make a note of the conversation with her. So much
for concern about her safety.
Fed Retaliation
After being thus betrayed by those who had pledged
to protect her, Howe contended that her only hope was to dig deeper into
the movement to allay any suspicions that she was an informant.
Incredibly, the prosecution then tried to prejudice the jury against
Howe by citing those very things which allowed her to be convincing
enough to survive. It cited, among other things, her possession of
neo-Nazi and racist literature, her association with neo-Nazis and
skinheads, her possession of firearms, and her camouflage clothing. All
of this was an obvious attempt to distract the jury from the weakness of
the case against Howe.
It is transparent to many observers that the
government's entire case against Carol Howe was a diversion and a
retaliatory act meant to stop her from exposing embarrassing facts which
key people in the government desperately want to remain buried. "I think
it's appalling that the government prosecuted this girl for doing
exactly what they hired her to do, while at the same time allowing
Dennis Mahon, Andy Strassmeir, and others who are implicated [in the
bombing] off scott-free," Kathy Wilburn told THE NEW
AMERICAN. Mrs. Wilburn, whose two grandsons were
killed in the blast and whose husband Glenn recently passed away (see
our August 18th issue), was one of the very few who attended all of the
Carol Howe trial. "Carol Howe's testimony and the ATF records lend very
strong, additional support," says Mrs. Wilburn, "to all of the other
evidence and eyewitness testimony -- the bomb squads being at the
building before the explosion, the ATF agents being out of their
offices, other undercover informants -- indicating that the government
did have prior warning."
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text:
Tag: New Valentine Content Pack
Scrapbook for the BlackBerry PlayBook Has New Valentine Content Package for Download
Today was a great day for some of my favorite photo apps. Scrapbook by Research In Motion Limited is one of those fantastic jewels from the acquisition of the TAT team. They've been releasing some neat content packs along the way and today they released the Valentine content pack. Check out what's new.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Available Colors/Styles
Detail Pics
Convenience and comfort for little shredders.
Get your little shredders out of the parking lot and onto the hill faster than ever before with the Burton Kids' Zipline Boa Snowboard Boot. It features a Boa lacing system so they can tighten their boots with the simple twist of a dial. The Youth Imprint liner is heat-moldable for a custom fit, and a soft flex means easy turns and all-day comfort. It also has an EVA footbed to absorb shock and a Dynolite outsole for traction on icy surfaces. Plus, an internal gusset keeps snow out for dry feet and big smiles.
- Boa lacing system
- Youth Imprint liner
- Level 1 molded EVA footbed
- Dynolite outsole
- Snow-proof internal gusset


text:
Wedding Invitations near aviston,il
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MagnetStreet Weddings1825 Reviews
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The Green Kangaroo220 Reviews
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Demand More Than Cursive!
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Demand More Than Cursive! You and your sweetie didn't spring from a template. Flaunt your style with a wedding brand that capitalizes on your...(more)
Invitations By Dawn1343 Reviews
Theme Wedding Invitations and Accessories
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Use promo code to receive 20% off your wedding invitation purchase. Great news- no minimum required! Value of deal depends on wedding invitation selected. Not valid with other offers or on previous purchases. Excludes Disney products.
Wedding Paper Divas3710 Reviews
Save the Dates . Invitations . Wedding Stationery
Our Story Wedding Paper Divas was launched in 2006 - as a stationery haven with an affinity for beautiful paper and fresh design. We pride...(more)
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At Wedding Paper Divas, we want you to shop with absolute, complete confidence. This means that even after you have double checked your wedding invitations and other cards before placing your order online, you'll have another opportunity to review your work to put your mind at ease. With each and every order, the designer working on your wedding stationery will send an electronic proof of what she has produced, including any enhancements and suggestions to your design, based on her professional expertise. We won't go to print until you've had one more chance to review the custom layout, make any necessary changes, and give us the green light. We understand that things slip through the cracks, last minute changes occur and events happen beyond your control, so we're happy to make any revisions for you.
Pickle Prints Customized Stationery50 Reviews
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We have been crafting custom wedding stationery long enough to have the process down pat. We listen to your wants and anticipate your needs, even...(more)
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text: At One is a product of London City, who burst on to the house music scene in 2010. He remixed for Soul Heaven, released his first critically acclaimed E.P on Yoruba Soul and second EP on Atjazz Record Company, he has also been busy remixing for them & other labels. Apart from being in the hot seat on productions, At One is also a sought after DJ spinning all over London and much further afield. Aside from the music in the literal sense At One runs his own successful daily house music blog, keeping people up to date with current/forthcoming events, charting music monthly, reviewing events and new r..At One's biography At One Musician


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On Sunday, March 31, 2013 City facilities and services will operate according to the following Easter Sunday schedule:
(Call the Police Department at 972-744-4800 for emergencies when the Animal Shelter is closed.)
City services will resume normal operations the following day.
411 W. Arapaho Rd. Richardson, TX 75080-4551 PH# 972 -744-4100 | Mailing Address P.O. Box 830309 Richardson, TX 75083-0309
© 2014 City of Richardson, TX | Privacy Policy
Accommodation request for persons with disabilities should be made by contacting Susan Mattson, ADA Coordinator,
Phone: 972 744-0908, Email at email@example.com, or by appointment at 1621 E. Lookout Driver, Richardson Tx. 75082.


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The Boys & Girls Clubs of the East Valley is helping more families this year to start the holiday season on a high note. The organization served 4,128 Thanksgiving meals to families in the communities it serves at nine branches Nov. 16-23. That's 128 more than last year.
Club members and their families, as well as others in the community, took advantage of the opportunity to mingle with their neighbors, learn more about the clubs and enjoy live music and inspirational guest speakers. Thunderbirds Branch-Guadalupe provided 1,050 meals, dozens more than were served last year, while Compadre Branch-Chandler dished out 933 meals.


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|Moore: Wednesday @ the Movies
Event Type: Movies
Age Group(s): Children, Tweens, Elementary School Age
Date: 6/25/2014
Start Time: 2:00 PM
End Time: 4:00 PM
The library brings the big screen inside the walls of the library at it's Wednesday movie series. Movies start each Wednesday at 2:00 pm in June and July. Call the Moore Children's Desk for weekly movie titles at 793-4347. No registration required.Library: Moore Driving Directions
Location: Room A & B


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Statement from HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius on National Native American Heritage Month
November 1, 2012
Each November we celebrate National Native American Heritage Month – the history, culture, and character of American Indian and Alaska Native people.
This year's theme, "Native Families Moving Ahead: Together We Strengthen Our Nations," speaks to the importance of continuing on the path to a healthier future for all American families.
Read the Press Release here: http://www.hhs.gov/news/press/2012pres/11/20121101a.html
Keywords: statement, HHS secretary, Kathleen Sebelius, national, native american, heritage, month
Recovery Month promotes the societal benefits of prevention, treatment, and recovery for mental and substance use disorders, celebrates people in recovery, lauds the contributions of treatment and service providers, and promotes the message that recovery in all its forms is possible. Recovery Month spreads the positive message that behavioral health is essential to overall health, that prevention works, treatment is effective and people can and do recover.
National Recovery Month 2014


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Yoga Classes in Zanzibar Tanzania
| Yoga Classes in Zanzibar
|Yoga Zanzibar
|Yoga Style: Hatha, Sivananda, Ashtanga, Vinyasa Flow
Zanzibar 09255
|Contact:Marisa van Vuuren
|Come and experience the tranquility & serenity through Yoga on Zanzibar with pristine white beaches, turquoise blue water, palm trees and breathtaking sunsets...taking the time and space to reconnect with yo .. More about Yoga Zanzibar
|Update listing
|Zanzibar Yoga with Jo
|Yoga Style: Mixture
|+255 77327 1942
|Based in Zanzibar, Jo Fox is a fully qualified Yoga teacher offering regular classes and retreats in some of the most stunning natural environments. Spare mats available. Toddler and junior classes also avai .. More about Zanzibar Yoga with Jo
|Update listing


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Columnists Life Sciences Physical Sciences Engineering Psychology
Columnists Life Sciences Physical Sciences Engineering Psychology
Smart Materials
Become a contributor: email@example.com
Shape Memory Alloys (SMA) are truly unique among metals; they have properties that most other metals don't. For one, they are super elastic, meaning you can bend them far beyond the elastic limit of any other equivalent metal. The truly amazing property though is that SMA undergo a reversible solid state phase change in crystalline structure from martensite to austenite, and vice versa [1]. This phase change happens when the SMA crosses a transition known as a transition temperature. All metals have a transition temperature between demonstrating ductile and brittle characteristics, but SMA take this to a whole different level.
Professor David Grant at the University of Nottingham researches SMA, and the video below is his demonstration of an SMA rod [2].
Shape memory behaviour, as previously mentioned, is the result of a reversible phase change between austenite and martensite and vice versa [1]. Austenite and martensite have face-centred cubic (FCC) and body-centred cubic (BCC) crystal structures respectively [3]. BCC materials are generally harder and less malleable than their FCC counterparts [4]. The video shown above demonstrates a super-elastic FCC phase at room temperature and a much less malleable BCC phase when cooled in liquid nitrogen [2]. This is an example of a one-way memory SMA; it remembers a shape at high temperature. Some shape memory alloys possess a two-way memory characteristic, which has the alloy retain a specific shape at both high and low temperatures (either side of the transition) [6]. Figure 1 shows the typical layout of a BCC material (left), which has crystals placed further apart from one another, making it harder for them to move.
Eventually shape memory alloys revert to their original shape after crossing their transition temperature. Usually SMA can be forced into their martensitic phase and placed in position and upon returning to their original position actually perform the intended function. This is particularly important in biomedical applications [5]. This particular property is favourable in specific situations; however the original shape of the alloy can be altered [7]. Shape memory alloys are "trained" by repeatedly hot and cold working the material. Muscle wires, like the rod shown in [2] can be clamped in a particular position in their cold phase, and then when a higher temperature is applied they will maintain the clamped position. Subsequently applying a cold phase temperature will forcibly maintain this shape further. In this way the alloy can also begin to develop two-way memory behaviour [6] [7].
The temperature transition at which this reversible phase change occurs can effectively be tuned by the alloy content of the SMA during manufacture [6]. Figure 2 demonstrates how altering temperature changes the crystal structure of the material between austenite and martensite; the subscript "s" and "f" depict the temperature at which the phase change starts and finishes respectively.
Shape memory alloys are used in a variety of industries, for example in marine and aerospace applications SMA are used as couplings for metal to metal pieces [1]. This is done by heating a radial SMA piece and expanding it, so that when it shrinks back to its original position over the metal pieces, it clamps them in place with significant radial forces, somewhat analogous to interference fits [1].
Shape memory alloys however are most prolific in the biomedical field. Titanium is widely known as one of very few bio-compatible materials. Most prosthetic joints are made of titanium alloys because the human immune system accepts them. One particularly prevalent example of SMA is shown by David Grant in the video demonstration above [2]. Towards the end of the video a small clip is shown, this clip is used as a bone stitch. The methodology behind it is to drill small holes in two fractured pieces of bone, and then deform the martensitic phase of the clip to fit into each hole. The temperature of the human body then returns this particular SMA to its austenitic phase, which pulls the fractured bone pieces together to allow it to heal.
A wide variety of SMA can be used as biomaterials, for instance Niinomi et al discuss the use of low Young's modulus titanium SMA for spinal fixation devices [5]. Xiong et al investigated nickel titanium SMA foams to be used to stimulate bone tissue re-growth [8]. SMA foams can stimulate bone regrowth by possessing a specific level of porosity (200-500 micro metres) allowing bone ingrowth.
Shape memory alloys are fascinating materials due to their truly unique behaviour. Most metals typically do not demonstrate such a high level of elasticity, but more importantly the shape memory behaviour of these alloys allows for a highly functional and specific use. For example, the nature of bone damage is never identical - there are infinite ways in which a bone can break - so SMA bone clips can be uniquely used for every situation, possibly removing the need for a cast. The road to recovery could be made a lot shorter and much less restricting with SMA bone clips. The Niionomi et al paper [5] gives a very up to date comparison of current biomedical alloys and shows in particular how the field of SMA in biomedical science is very cutting edge.
[1]. Shape Memory Alloys, available from http://www.azom.com/article.aspx?ArticleID=1744 [accessed 18/3/13].
[2]. Grant, David M. , Shape Memory Alloy Demonstration, University of Nottingham, available from: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1rrPv5AlVXg [accessed 15/3/13].
[3]. Arciniegas, M. et al (2007) Study of hardness and wear behaviour of NiTi shape memory alloys, Journal of Alloys and Compounds, 460, p213-219.
[4]. Primary Metallic Crystalline Structures, available from http://goo.gl/TqJgL [accessed 18/3/13].
[5]. Niinomi, M et al (2012) Development of new metallic alloys for biomedical applications, Acta Biomaterialia, 8, p3888-3903.
[6]. Shape Memory Alloys and Their Applications, available from http://www.stanford.edu/~richlin1/sma/sma.html [accessed 19/3/13].
[7]. How shape memory alloys are "trained", available from http://goo.gl/CMvVC [accessed 20/3/13].
[8]. Xiong, J.Y et al (2007) Titanium-nickel shape memory alloy foams for bone tissue engineering, Journal of the Mechanical Behaviour of Biomedical Materials, 1, p269-273.
[9]. Definition of a Shape Memory Alloy, available from http://goo.gl/wrTQ5 [accessed 21/3/13].
Wendy introduces the increasingly relevant topic of smart materials.
Can viruses be considered smart?
A look at some organisms you might not have previously considered 'smart'
Using bacteria as computers...
Scientists have given rats a 'sixth sense'
The Blue Brain Project: can scientists build a realistic computer model of the brain?


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Sunflower Greens are one of the best things you can add to your raw & living food diet to improve your overall health and well being, they are delicious, nutritious, they make for a beautiful presentation and they are fun to grow. One of the best ways to enjoy the nutrition of a sunflower is by eating its sprouts. Sunflower sprouts boast a surprising 25 percent protein. Their sweet taste and hearty texture make a great addition to any salad or meal!
Sunflower greens are a nutritional powerhouse packed with vitamins A, B complex, D, and E; they also contain minerals including calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, potassium, phosphorus and zinc. In addition to these vitamins and minerals, sunflower greens are a rich source of lecithin which helps break down fatty acids into an easily digestible water soluble form, and chlorophyll which benefits many functions within the body, including building blood supply, revitalizing tissue, and calming inflammation, activating enzymes, and deodorizing the body.
High in B vitamins, Vitamin E, C and selenium. Has been known to Reduces Blood Pressure, prevent heart disease and in Ayurvedic medicine sunflower sprouts are used as a natural expectorant. Sunflower seed sprouts are a great vegetarian source of protein. They are also very easily digestible.
|100% Organic Sunflower sprouting seeds
|USDA Organic
|For maximum shelf life, store seeds in a tightly sealed glass jar and set in a cool, dry place.


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Advance Screening Man of Steel Tickets To Be Available At Wal-Mart
Super tickets go on sale within a month!
Wal-Mart 2012 Black Friday Ad: PS3, iPad, XBox 360, Wii, More Deals (View)
Wal-Mart has released its 2012 Black Friday ad. Check it out and get all the info on the upcoming deals.
Peter David Writes Wal-Mart Exclusive The Avengers Season One Graphic Novel For Blu-Ray
Peter David writes a 100 page graphic novel available exclusively at Wal-Mart with The Avengers movie Blu-Ray.
Wal-Mart Black Friday 2011: PS3/XBox Under 200 Bucks; Kinect/Wii under $100
How many will punch, kick and fight their way through the lines and skip out on turkey dinner all for the sake of a buck?!


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Todd E. Johnson joined Fuller in 2005 and is the William K. and Delores S. Brehm Associate Professor of Worship, Theology and the Arts. He is also the Theological Director of the Brehm Center. As a member of the Center for...Read Full Bio.
William Dyrness, professor of theology and culture, joined the Fuller faculty in 1990 and served as dean of the School of Theology from 1990 to 2000. He teaches courses in theology, culture, and the arts, and was a founding...Read Full Bio.
Rev. Dr. Mark Labberton is the founding Director of the Ogilvie Institute of Preaching, bringing experience from over 25 years in pastoral ministry. Mark cares deeply about the call and life of the preacher and to the...Read Full Bio.
Barry has served at Fuller Seminary in a number of capacities. On finishing his PhD at Fuller, he worked initially for the Brehm Center as co-director for the Reel Spirituality Institute and also began teaching theology and...Read Full Bio.
Robert Johnston joined the faculty of Fuller in 1993, serving as provost until 1995 and now serving as professor of theology and culture. He brought with him 20 years of teaching, ecclesial, and academic administrative...Read Full Bio.
Edwin M. (Ed) Willmington is the Director of the Fred Bock Institute of Music of the Brehm Center for Worship, Theology and the Arts, and Composer-in-Residence at Fuller Theological Seminary. As the institute director, Ed...Read Full Bio.
Alexis Abernethy joined Fuller in 1998, serving as professor of psychology. Prior to coming to Fuller, she was on faculty within the Psychology Division of the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Rochester Medical...Read Full Bio.
Roberta King is associate professor of communication and ethnomusicology in the School of Intercultural Studies. Since coming to Fuller in 2000, she has served as All-Seminary Chapel director and developed a new curriculum for...Read Full Bio.
Kutter Callaway is the Director of Church Relations and an Affiliate Professor of Theology and Culture at Fuller Theological Seminary. His theological musings are often focused on contemporary culture. His book, Scoring...Read Full Bio.
Carolyn L. Gordon joined the Fuller faculty in 2007 as associate professor of communication and chairs the Department of Preaching and Communication. She came to Fuller from Central Baptist Theological Seminary, where she...Read Full Bio.
David Taylor joined the Fuller faculty at the Texas regional campus in 2014 after completing his PhD in Theology and Liturgics at Duke Divinity School. He has taught courses on worship, theology, and the arts at Trinity School...Read Full Bio.
Joseph C. Gallagher (Joe) is a graduate of Harvard Law School, and worked for many years as a senior creative and corporate executive at Universal Studios and Fox Film Corporation. He and his wife Joanne, an actress, live in...Read Full Bio.
Nate Risdon currently serves as the Associate Director for the Brehm Center. After graduating from Fuller Theological Seminary with a Master of Divinity with a concentration in Worship, Theology, and the Arts, Nate began...Read Full Bio. Edit bio
As the Associate Director of Outreach, Tina Hamous is developing a new initiative called The Center Out, whose mission is to support congregational ministry by offering interactive resources to enable the church, pastor, artist...Read Full Bio.
Tim comes to his new role as Director of the Ogilvie Institute of Preaching after a decade serving as director and then partnership leader (vice president) for Christian commitments at World Vision International. Before that,...Read Full Bio.
Beatriz has held positions as a Professional Meeting and Event Planner in the Hospitality Industry for over 10 years and enjoys the challenges each new Event brings. The collaboration of talents and skill sets in a team...Read Full Bio.
Debi was born in Korea but grew up mostly in SoCal, and lived somewhere between South Central and Glendale for most of her life. She worked for several years in a real-estate development company but felt the call to join...Read Full Bio.
Mark Finney brings several years of experience as a pastor and teacher to his role as Ogilvie Institute Program Manager, and he has a stong passion for equipping preachers. He earned his MDiv at Fuller Seminary, and as the...Read Full Bio.
Elijah Davidson, Co-Director of Reel Spirituality, received his Master of Arts in Intercultural Studies and Theology and Art at Fuller Theological Seminary. He is keenly interested in all the different ways the Kingdom of God...Read Full Bio.
A proud Nebraska native, Jon recently graduated with his Master of Divinity from Luther Seminary in Saint Paul, MN. Along with his roles in the Brehm Center, he is also pursuing his PhD in Christian Worship and working as...Read Full Bio.
Before starting her PhD studies at Fuller, Maria served as an arts ministry coordinator in the Center For Faith & Work (CFW), Redeemer Presbyterian Church. The CFW looks to equip, connect, and mobilize Christians in their...Read Full Bio.
Jennifer is a recent Fuller MDiv graduate and has been involved in the Micah Groups movement from the very beginning under the leadership of Dr. Mark Labberton. Most recently, Jennifer has been working as President...Read Full Bio.


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Take a Closer look at the picture ... what do you see?The White Doe Inn was known as the Theodore Meekins Home and is one of the most photographed homes on Roanoke Island. Originally built as a story and a half in 1898, it was finished in 1910 as a Queen Ann Victorian style home. It was lovingly restored by Bebe & Robert Woody in 1995.
I have been working at The White Doe Inn for the past 12 years now. I have to say in that time many strange things have been witnessed by staff and guests alike. It only seems to be in the off-season when the house becomes quieter and less hectic that we really notice these things. Not to say the house is haunted, but there are some things that happen that are peculiar and may indicate that some house guests just keep coming back. It used to start with one certain closet door, it opened on its own. The closet had a very distinct sound as it opened and when it did open on its own you could even hear the latch click. We have since removed the door and made the closet into a wine pantry. Then there are the CD players. It's like a game we play, which room is playing music this morning? No one has been in the Inn for the past few nights yet music is playing in one of the rooms. We search it out, turn it off, check all the other rooms and tomorrow music will be playing in another room regardless.
One December afternoon the owner and I were standing at the bottom of the staircase talking and the sound of a door shutting came from above. She asked me who else was in the house to which I replied "Just you and me." Lights turn on and off, empty rooms page the front desk and don't think for a moment that the oddities only happen when night falls. Ask my housekeeping staff of the occasional shadow lurking in a doorway or disappearing down the hall.
I am not saying the house has ghosts, it is after all a very old house. Old houses have sounds, even if it is a tune being lightly whistled, doors that never really quite shut no matter how many times you check it. I would like to think someone was watching over this eloquent old home and all of us that work here. We are a romantic bed and breakfast and pride ourselves in the service we provide our guests. Should you decide you would like to enjoy a quiet reprieve please come visit us. We'll do our best to make sure nothing goes bump in the night.
This Halloween Special Treat ...
Fireside Stories with "Dary the Seanachie"
Saturday October 30th, 2010
Saturday October 30th, 2010
Guests staying this weekend will be treated to stories to the likes that have never been heard. We will be taken on a journey by "Darby the Seanachie" (a traditional Irish Storyteller) as we sit around the outdoor fire, sip hot mulled wine and roast marshmallows. Call 800.473.691 and make your reservations today.


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I know I knew this once, but it's been so long, so forgive my inquiry. Does Bard's ability take effect as soon as the attack is declared, or after it is resolved? Given the writing of the news article, I'm thinking it takes effect after it is resolved. I'm assuming the same thing would happen for other abilities that lower defense or attack of a target after attacking it (though I can't think of other examples at the moment).
Bard the Bowman and other stat-altering cards
Started by Budgernaut , Jan 22 2013 06:57 AM
2 replies to this topic
Posted 22 January 2013 - 06:57 AM
"There is a fine line between neutral and amoral. In fact, there may be no line there at all."
--Count Dooku
Posted 22 January 2013 - 12:03 PM
But if it takes effect after it resolves, it wouldn't be of any use for Bard !!
Guess it only makes sense if it takes effect at the start.
Posted 22 January 2013 - 01:13 PM
Bard the Bowman:
When Bard the Bowman makes a ranged attack …
It is the same wording on the errata'd Dol Guldur Beastmaster, so it will take effect when it is declared as an attacker using range attack.
Once ... Always ...
My blog (in Simplified Chinese): http://blog.sina.com/b0ardgames
My blog (in Simplified Chinese): http://blog.sina.com/b0ardgames


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Current: 53°
High: 53°
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Pressure: 30.16
Humidity: 83 %
Montgomery city workers have to take furlough day
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — Montgomery Mayor Todd Strange says all city employees will have to take a furlough day before the end of February.
Strange says the furlough should save the city about $450,000 and those savings have been included in the city's budget for the fiscal year.
Strange told the Montgomery Advertiser (http://on.mgmadv.com/RZIBo9 ) that employees can control when they take off and some have already opted for New Year's Eve.
Montgomery city workers are getting the Friday after Thanksgiving and the Monday before Christmas off as paid holidays.
Information from: Montgomery Advertiser, http://www.montgomeryadvertiser.com
CW Link


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KTVQ.com Sponsored Search
Humidity 57%
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Jan 17, 2013 7:18 PM by MTN News
GREAT FALLS - Doug Bennyhoff, who has served as the Great Falls Fire Marshall, submitted his notice of retirement to city officials on Thursday.
A press release from the deputy city manager notes that Bennyhoff has more than 26 years of service with the City of Great Falls Fire Rescue, and that his retirement is effective immediately.
On Mon., Jan. 14, Bennyhoff was charged with one count of negligent endangerment and five counts of obstructing a peace officer in connection with the death of Orville Jones in September.
Court documents state that Bennyhoff's story to dispatchers, medical responders, and investigators did not correspond with what other witnesses were saying.
According to witness statements, Bennyhoff was attempting to help Jones, who was intoxicated, get across the street to his apartment by pushing him in a Barrel O' Bucks casino chair that had wheels on the legs.
The witnesses say that Jones, who appeared to be passed out, was ejected from the chair and landed on his head.
Court documents state that Bennyhoff and two other people then carried Jones to his apartment.
The other men told investigators that they urged Bennyhoff to call 911 after noticing significant swelling on Jones' head.
During the call, Bennyhoff told the 911 dispatcher that Jones had fallen while walking across the street, and when asked if crews needed to respond "emergent" or if officers were needed.. Bennyhoff replied, "No."
When Great Falls Fire Rescue and Great Falls Emergency Services arrived on scene, Bennyhoff reportedly made no mention of the chair and continued to say that Jones had fallen.
At one point, Bennyhoff changed his story when talking to a fellow firefighter, indicating that Jones' injuries came from falling while in the casino.
Emergency responders at the scene told investigators that knowing exactly how an injury occurred is important to determining treatment.
They also stated the protocol for dealing with this type of injury is to immobilize the patient and call 911 immediately, and that, as Fire Marshal, Bennyhoff is aware of the proper protocol.
Jones died from the injuries on September 21st, six days after the incident.
4 hours ago


text: Close to the South Park Historic District with its mix of Queen Anne and Italianate homes, Dewey's Dayton location serves an eclectic mix of families, young professionals from nearby Miami Valley Hospital and NCR, as well as students from the University of Dayton. Just across from the "Darkside" neighborhood, we are an ideal spot for lunch with co-workers or post-game celebration for the Flyers. We are located near the intersection of Brown and East Stewart Streets


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Thu, May 24, 2012
On the 20th day for February, 1962 John Glenn became the first American to orbit the Earth. Three months later, astronaut Scott Carpenter was prepared to do it again. His project Mercury spacecraft had been christened Aurora 7. Considering the everlasting fame and notoriety that Glenn's flight generated, Scott Carpenter's flight would be known throughout the years mostly for one thing in particular; the fact that his spacecraft overshot the landing point by 250 miles. A few of the people involved in the Aurora 7 mission have, in their autobiographical accounts of the era, attempted to blame Carpenter for the landing overshoot. At least one person has gone as far as to imply that he was incompetent as an astronaut. When you read this article you will likely see things much differently.
In the original project Mercury schedule Glenn's flight, MA-6, and the next flight, MA-7 were to be identical missions lasting three orbits of the Earth. At that time NASA was being extremely careful with its orbital test flight program and its astronauts. The ideal was to get up, fly the vehicle and get back down without any extraneous tasks. In the wake of the success of Glenn's three orbit flight there came a relaxation in that way of thinking and that opened the doors to some new areas of thinking. It was felt that now that we could fly into space it was time to add a large degree of scientific study onto future flights. All of this started to be dumped upon the original pilot assigned to MA-7… Deke Slayton. In his autobiography "Deke!" he said about the push to inject scientific experiments into the flight plan, "… everybody and his brother came out of the woodwork… One damn thing after another. I had my hands full trying to resist it." Fortunately for Slayton this problem
went away about a month after Glenn's flight. It was then that he was removed from flight status due to what was then considered to be a heart irregularity. It would be up to the next pilot to handle the new "science" workload- that pilot turned out to be Scott Carpenter.
No one in NASA management bothered to consider the fact that Mercury had only flown once into orbit as a manned spacecraft. This was a new vehicle in a new place for humans, it was flight test on the highest order and no place to be loaded down with all sorts of experiments. Additionally, unlike Slayton, Scott Carpenter was enthusiastic about adding all of the "science." As it turned out this mixture of a new program, a new spacecraft and a three orbit flight peppered with experiments was an unhealthy combination.
The experiments added into the MA-7 flight included a multicolored balloon released from the spacecraft for observation and photographic purposes, a ground flare visibility experiment, observations of the air glow layer of the atmosphere, a "zero gravity experiment" consisting of three glass balls are small amount of liquid in them, a laundry list of photographic experiments and assorted star sightings and measurements of star brightness as well as personal observations of auto kinesis and spacecraft reaction to movement of arms and legs within the cabin. It's important here to note that prior to John Glenn's flight NASA management was so concerned about his workload that they didn't even want him to take a camera. In fact, Glenn had to go out and buy his own camera to use on the mission. In preparation for the mission, Carpenter had spent 70 hours and 45 minutes in the simulator training for his specific flight and almost none of that time concerned working with the experiments, while at the same
time conducting spacecraft operations.
At 07:45:16 EST on the 24th day of May 1962 the MA-7 flight lifted off from Cape Canaveral. The Atlas booster performed perfectly and Aurora 7 was inserted into the correct orbit. Then at 08:27 into the mission Carpenter reported that he was " ... beginning to unstow the equipment." Shortly after that the astronaut fulfilled the first of his non-flying tasks by taking a series of photographs of the expended Atlas booster. By the 16:19 point mission the first hints of a problem that would plague Carpenter throughout the mission appeared. Carpenter reported "I think my attitude is not in agreement with the instruments." What he was seeing was a beginning of a degradation in his ASCS (automatic stabilization and control system). Just 3 minutes later the first signs of the pilot being overloaded began to show. While in contact with the Canary Islands station and receiving a read-up of times for sunset and sunrise, Carpenter was too busy working with his camera and was unable to copy the
numbers. Although he had practiced that moment of flight many times in the simulator, he had never been required to do the task in zero gravity while wearing a pressure suit and gloves and manipulating a camera that had never been designed to be manipulated under those conditions. Further evidence of him beginning to be overloaded came at the next station passage at Kano, Nigeria. When asked if he was doing his gyro caging procedures Carpenter reported, "I am a little behind in the flight plan at this moment. I have been unable at this time to install the MIT film. I finally have it. I'll go through the gyro caging procedures very shortly." That was at 26 minutes and 37 seconds into the mission, and Carpenter was already falling behind. None of this was actually Carpenter's fault, he reported after the flight that the procedure for caging the gyros, although practiced in the simulator, was not done with live equipment and a visual presentation. He found that procedure, which he had done
often, now ate up valuable time and had a similar difficulty to loading the film in out of the camera with the spacesuit and gloves on. Likewise he found that there was nowhere near enough time to allow for the transition from one activity, or experiment to another. Ultimately Carpenter was forced to stow the camera, forgo the horizon pictures and focus his efforts on the gyro caging procedures. Later on this first orbit he was unable to perform an observation to measure the oscillation of Venus as it came through the horizon. The simple act of removing the equipment and getting it set to go with gloves on cost so much time that by the time he had the equipment set Venus was well above the horizon. As Carpenter focused on the Venus experiment he inadvertently left his automatic and manual thrusters on. In the Mercury capsule this "double authority" consumed fuel at a huge rate. Fortunately Carpenter caught the error relatively quickly, but it still cost him far too much fuel. During his first orbit
Carpenter reported three times that he was behind schedule for flight activities.
Early into the second orbit over the Canary Islands station Carpenter was told that mission control was worried about his auto fuel and manual fuel consumption he reported back that he was concerned too and he would try and conserve fuel. As if to add to the workload, telemetry concerning the temperature of Carpenter's suit continued to give ground controllers false indications. Thus at nearly every reporting station the controllers would read up their numbers which Carpenter would debate. At one point they showed a suit temperature of 102° while Carpenter himself sat comfortably in about 74°. Over the Indian Ocean Carpenter figured out that his ASCS system, that he had been relying upon to conserve fuel, was probably acting up and may be costing him additional precious fuel instead.
Shortly after the passing out of range of the Indian Ocean tracking ship, Carpenter deployed a small tethered "balloon" from his spacecraft did some recording on his onboard tape recorder. He was making notes as to his current laundry list of issues- from his suit temperature to his doubts about the ability of the Aurora 7 spacecraft to hold its stability. He also stated quite flatly, "I have gotten badly behind on the flight plan now."
When Carpenter came into range of the Muchea, Australia tracking station his Capcom was Deke Slayton who passed on and order as well as a stern warning from mission control. "We suggest you go to manual at this point and preserve your auto fuel." Then, following some standard banter about the astronaut's general condition Slayton warned, "For your information, Cape informs that if we don't stay on manual for quite a spell here, (we) will probably have to end (on) this orbit." What this was in effect saying was that Carpenter's decision to remain on auto was incorrect. The ASCS was clearly malfunctioning and in doing so draining Aurora 7's fuel. Fortunately the mission had just moved into a phase where drifting flight was required. Carpenter switched to manual, took his hands off the controls and begin to drift in what Wally Schirra called "chimp mode."
For almost the complete remainder of his flight Scott Carpenter simply drifted along the orbital path in which he had been inserted. In looking at the fuel consumption charts from the post flight is clear that almost any maneuvering at this point would have run him out of fuel. Aboard Aurora 7 the auto fuel warning light had been on for such a long time that Carpenter actually covered it with a piece of tape to keep it from annoying him.
Passing over Hawaii something cropped up that drew Scott Carpenter's attention- perhaps more than it should have. Back during John Glenn's historic flight he had discovered something he called "fireflies" swirling around his spacecraft. The single observation ignited a debate in the science community as to exactly what these little white objects, officially named "space particles," might be. Some people went as far as to speculate that these so-called fireflies may actually be living creatures. So far, in the mission of Aurora 7 Carpenter had seen only a very few individual particles that seem to drift by. Now as the astronaut moved in the cabin to attempt to cage and test his gyros he suddenly saw a great number of the "fireflies" outside his window. "They definitely look like snowflakes this time." Carpenter reported. He then added that he would attempt to photograph the particles.
Given a "Go" for his third and final orbit, Carpenter's next task was to jettison the "balloon" that he had deployed earlier in his flight. The balloon experiment, which was to investigate visual phenomena in the space environment, simply didn't work out. Using a 30 inch Mylar sphere that was to be inflated to 900 PSI, the experiment required the astronaut to observe panels on the balloon painted orange, white, silver, yellow and phosphorescent. The balloon itself was attached to a 100 foot nylon line. On the other end it was attached to the spacecraft with a "strain gauge." It was hoped that measurements of the balloon's tension on the capsule could be measured. Additionally it was hoped that the balloon, as it unfolded, would dispense a quantity of 1/4 inch Mylar discs or "confetti" that had been placed into the folds when the balloon was packed. Officially the description of the experiment was described as: "The astronaut will observe the operation from the deployment sequence, through
tethering, to release and separation, and any oscillations or gyrations will be noted. Photography of angular displacement, the various colors, and the confetti dispersion will be provided for correlation with visual responses. The astronaut will orient the spacecraft in order to track the balloon's trajectory after it is released and photographs during this phase are requested when distances are recorded." Scott Carpenter did not have the camera dexterity or the fuel required to do any of that. The confetti was never observed, the balloon did not fully inflate, and the tether holding the balloon to spacecraft rarely had any tension. Normally the balloon simply floated randomly around out of sight of the spacecraft window and the tether was often so loose that it looped. Carpenter made only one observation of visual acuity saying that orange was the color most easily seen. Then, at the beginning of the third orbit over Cape Canaveral, when he went through the procedure to jettison the balloon it
failed to let go. It remained attached until reentry when it simply "went away."
Cape Canaveral Capcom queued Carpenter to give them an observation of the Zero-G experiment as he headed out over the Atlantic on the final orbit. The astronaut dutifully gave his observations which Capcom was unable to clearly receive- so it had to have repeated shortly before Aurora 7 passed out of range. Switching to the capsule's voice record mode, Carpenter went on to describe zero-G, how it affected his eyes and the lack of auto kinesis. Then Carpenter used some of the time on his last pass over the Atlantic Ocean to un-stow and again load the MIT film into his camera. This time he was determined to get the photographs that he had missed on his first orbit. He also took time to talk more about the fireflies and his own spatial orientation. Oddly, there he was on the brink of running out of fuel that would be critical to maintain his proper orientation during reentry, yet Scott Carpenter's greatest concern was cramming to get all of the "science "done. It is very clear that Scott
Carpenter had fully bought into the added science workload and was determined to get as much done as he could.
It should also be mentioned here that an additional load was placed upon Scott Carpenter by his highly dysfunctional spacesuit cooling system that required constant adjustment and readjustment as well as the reporting of that to ground controllers. Additionally the flight surgeons on the ground required a blood pressure procedure at nearly every station. Carpenter's own confidence and attitude, however, remained quite good, when informed by ground controllers that his respiration data, that was previously not being received on the ground, was finally being received he said, "That's very good. I guarantee I'm breathing."
During the remainder of this third and final orbit Carpenter managed to get a respectable portion of the remaining science experiments checked off of this list. Then at 04:19:22 sunrise occurred and he found himself in the same luminous swarm of fireflies for John Glenn had witnessed. He also noticed that if he rapped his hand on the hatch he could stir up thousands of them. Scott Carpenter had solved spaceflight's newest mystery- the space particles were nothing more than ice crystals clinging to the capsule.
Approaching Hawaii for the final time the absolute most critical portion of Aurora 7's flight was about to begin; retrofire. Carpenter was instructed to orient the spacecraft and go to ASCS in preparation for the pre-retro sequence. He accomplished that task, but then diverted his attention to the stowage checklist. A moment later he reported to the ground, "… my control mode is automatic and my attitude standby, waiting minute, I have a problem in…" Ground controllers waited 33.5 seconds before Carpenter continued, "I have an ASCS problem here. I think ASCS is not operating properly." Moments later he returned to fly-by-wire controls and reported that his attitudes did not agree. He was 5 minutes from retrofire. He also reported that he was showing a descent rate of about 12 feet per second. Hawaii ground had just enough time to run through the pre-retro checklist with him before he went out of range. Upon contacting the California station Carpenter reported to Alan Shepard, "I
don't have agreement with ASCS in the window Al. I think I'm going to have to go to fly-by-wire and use the window and the scope." Shepard agreed and told Carpenter he had 30 seconds until retrofire.
Sources tend to disagree on the exact error in yaw that was present during the retro sequence and reentry, but the best figure seems to be 25°. This overall error was a combination of gyro error, ASCS error and the inability of the human eye to precisely align yaw using the Mercury spacecraft window and its periscope. This error, however, was responsible for a large portion of the landing overshoot. Another portion of the overshoot was caused in the mechanical process of triggering the retro rockets. Carpenter reported in his post-flight interview that when the retro countdown reached zero he thought he did not get ignition, so he manually punched all three retro buttons in sequence. The time that it took between his evaluation that he had not gotten retrofire and his ability to react and push the buttons added to the moments it took to ignite the retro rockets all added up to about 3 seconds. That equated to an overshoot of about 20 miles. Carpenter also has commented over the years that he did
not feel that the retro rockets were burning with the strength that John Glenn had described and that too had added to the overshoot. During the actual retrofire Carpenter did report to the ground that there were issues concerning the burn, he said, "okay, I think they held well Al. I think they were good. I can't tell you what was wrong about them because the gyros were not quite right." It is however worth noting that none of the published historical records indicate any anomaly in the strength of the retro rockets burn.
Nearly 10 minutes before Aurora 7 touched the Earth's atmosphere Scott Carpenter ran out of manual control fuel. He now had no choice other than to rely upon this malfunctioning ASCS system during reentry. Just prior to entry interface he reported the fuel was, "… 15 auto, I'm indicating 7 manual but it is empty and ineffective."
During the reentry blackout Carpenter reported into his onboard recorder, "I've got the orange glow. I assume we are in blackout now." He put out a blind call to Gus Grissom at the Cape but got no return. "There goes something tearing away." He continued to describe, "okay. I'm setting in a role rate at this time. Going to AUX damp. I hope we have enough fuel. I get the orange glow at this time. Picking up just a little acceleration now." Throughout the entire reentry phase Carpenter's ASCS kept him alive with a lot of help from Max Faget (pronounced "Fa-jay"). He was the primary designer of the Mercury capsule and with great sense of forethought Max Faget designed the capsule with its center of gravity offset so that at any time in freefall within the atmosphere the capsule would always orient itself blunt end forward. So, even when Aurora 7's tanks were empty and its thrusters inert it still dropped through the atmosphere in a relatively stable manner. There was, however, a fair
degree of oscillation in the upper atmosphere and in order to dampen that out Carpenter wisely elected to manually deploy the drogue parachute. At the 10,000 foot altitude preset in the spacecraft's barostats the main parachute deployed, reefed and then fully opened to lower Aurora 7 to a safe splashdown.
On his way down to the splashdown point some 250 miles off target, Carpenter made broken contact with Gus Grissom at Cape Canaveral. There was just enough time for both to understand that his condition was good, his descent normal, and he was way off target. Following splashdown Carpenter did exactly what he was trained to do. He exited the spacecraft through the upper bulkhead, tossed his life-raft into the water, jumped into the ocean, climbed into the raft and waited for the rescue force to come and pick him up. What followed was what Walter Cronkite once described as, "perhaps NASA's greatest blunder in the history of manned spaceflight." From the beginning of blackout until Carpenter himself was recovered nearly 2 hours elapsed and NASA told the news media almost nothing other than the Aurora 7 would likely land much farther downrange than expected. As far as anyone in the news media knew, America had lost its first astronaut.
Of course Scott Carpenter was recovered in terrific condition. He had spent the time sitting in his little yellow life-raft toying with a small fish that was his only company. The news media soon got over NASA's slight and Americans were just happy to have another spaceflight hero.
In conclusion it is pretty easy to see that the primary difficulty with the flight of Aurora 7 was that NASA sent aloft a fairly new type of vehicle on only its second manned orbital mission with a pilot who had been heavily overloaded with tasks other than flying and who had also been ill trained to perform those tasks. Scott Carpenter was overloaded from the first moments of his mission. Thus, who is to blame for any shortcomings in the mission? Chris Kraft in his book "Flight" heavily contends that Carpenter himself was incompetent. In examining the actual flight through historical records rather than self-serving personal whims it becomes clear that Carpenter was indeed competent and that the incompetent persons were actually in NASA management. This can be said because it was NASA management who allowed, what should have been a three orbit test flight, to be infested at the last moments prior to launch by a wide array of "science experiments." NASA management should rightly have frozen the flight
plan and not allowed these extraneous tasks to be injected into the mission.
Now, 50 years later we can look back at those first steps in human spaceflight with a sense of wonder at the courage that it took to climb aboard those tiny spacecraft. The Mercury Seven astronauts were held up as heroes and elevated to a rightful position where they remain to this day. Scott Carpenter did a good job and his flight taught us as much by its shortcomings as by its successes. (All images provided by NASA)
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Aero-TV: Redbird's Roger Sharp -- Pushing The Aero-Educational Envelope
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Microsoft Reveals 1080p LifeCam Studio Webcam
The new LifeCam Studio is designed to work with Windows Live Messenger 2011, which will offer HD video calling in a 16:9 widescreen format, but we're sure it'll function just fine within Skype or any other preferred webcam / video chat client. This device is Microsoft's first LifeCam with a 1080p sensor, which is actually twice as large as the 720p HD sensor in order to allow for a sharper image in lower light. The webcam will ship later in the month for $99.95, and if you're in need of a new video calling tool, this looks to be your best bet. Just make sure you have a broadband connection to upload all 1080p of yourself.
Microsoft Unveils New LifeCam With Stunning 1080p HD Sensor: Closest Thing to Being There in Person
LifeCam Studio is the perfect HD video calling companion for Windows Live Messenger 2011.
REDMOND, Wash., Sept. 13 /PRNewswire/ -- Microsoft Corp. today sets a new standard in webcams with LifeCam Studio, featuring sharp high-definition (HD) video with a true 1080p sensor(1) Microsoft's newest LifeCam is the perfect complement to Windows Live Messenger 2011, which will offer HD video calling in a 16:9 widescreen format so everyone can easily be seen in the video call with amazing detail(2). When people can't attend an important life moment in person, LifeCam Studio delivers the closest thing to being there.
As Microsoft's first webcam with a 1080p sensor, LifeCam Studio delivers superior sharpness and image quality in video calls. The native 1080p sensor is more than twice as large as the 720p HD sensors on the market and lets more light in so people experience great video in virtually any lighting condition. Whether the sun is streaming in the window or the user is lit only by the light from the computer monitor, LifeCam Studio brings friends and family closer than ever before.
Better Together With Windows Live Messenger 2011
The launch of Microsoft's latest HD LifeCam comes at an exciting time for webcam users with the recent announcement that Windows Live Messenger 2011 will support HD video calling this fall.
"With Windows Live Messenger, customers can now have richer, more meaningful conversations by sharing photos, playing games and, of course, instant messaging all while video chatting in HD," said Michael Chang, group product manager, Windows Live Messenger. "We are thrilled to deliver HD widescreen video calls with Windows Live Messenger 2011, giving LifeCam users a more vivid and clear image for their video calls."
More Than Just Good Looks
In addition to a high-quality video picture, LifeCam Studio features a stunning industrial design. But it's not just about great design; every piece of this webcam serves a purpose. The new webcam is Microsoft's first to feature a tripod thread, perfect for recording long video captures from different angles — not only in front of the monitor. LifeCam Studio also includes these features:
* A 360-degree view range, which means that users can easily point the camera at themselves or around the room — no need to pick up an entire laptop and turn it around.
* An elongated hood modeled after a high-end camera to help protect the lens from stray light to avoid washed-out colors.
First-Class Technology
LifeCam Studio features premium optics, with improved Auto Focus to keep objects in focus no matter how far the distance from the LifeCam(3), and a high-precision glass element lens for superior clarity. It also includes two technologies to ensure video remains true to life in almost any environment:
* TrueColor Technology automatically delivers bright and colorful video in virtually any lighting condition and helps keep the most important part of the video call — the face — properly exposed.
* ClearFrame Technology helps keep video smooth and detailed even in low light.
Pricing and Availability
LifeCam Studio will be available exclusively at Best Buy stores later this month for the estimated retail price of $99.95(4) and is available on BestBuy.com starting today. Microsoft backs this product with a worldwide three-year limited hardware warranty. More information about these and other Microsoft Hardware products can be found at http://www.microsoft.com/hardware.
That definatly is a good looking cam! Price isnt to bad.
It should be noted that this footnote was a part of that press release but wasn't captured in the paste here:
"1 Popular video call services support 720p resolution or lower — not 1080p. 1080p HD recording requires commercial video software (not included), Intel Quad Core 3.0 GHz (or higher) or compatible, and 4 GB RAM. Enclosed software supports 720p HD video recording. HD display recommended."
I'd like to see a head to head comparison with the HD1080 offering by Logitech , which can be had for $20 cheaper than the LifeCam's MSRP.
That is pretty cool!
This will be interesting to see how many movies will be shot with these!
You can now have a Bullet time camera setup without breaking the bank....Coool!
It will also be cool to set these up as dynamic cameras on the sides of cars as well!
Yeah, but I dont think you would want that as a scope when you are pointing it at the ex-girlfriend:P


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When you're riding your bike at night, wouldn't you want to have the best color that people would recognize the most, and that's RED and BLUE. Just think about it for a second, if you had red and blue blinkers on your bike, you'd be seen right away by drivers, correct?
But then again, having these colored lights could spell some trouble for you. Some cities prohibit such color combinations because it resembles Police lights. Would you risk it if you ran those colors on your bike(s) that a cop wouldn't pull you over? Perhaps these color combinations are ok in some cities, but I know for a fact that in Los Angeles, you'd get pulled over right away. It's really a shame since these colors seem to catch people's attention rather quickly.