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The Mentalist Review: The Mystery in the Tupperwareby Christine Orlando at . Comments
"Red and Itchy" featured everything you could want in an episode of The Mentalist: A compelling mystery, great teamwork and lots fun banter.
Throw in Patrick Jane working hand in hand with J.J. LaRoche and how could you lose?
Did you see how Jane immediately perked up when he heard that LaRoche was asking for him? He couldn't resist that. Not even the hunt for Red John could keep him away.
It was all of the little things about the opening crime scene that I enjoyed. Jane noticing that the Hummels were broken. Rigsby holding LaRoche's dog. And finding out that Lisbon is not a canine lover, or perhaps it's that they don't like her.
LaRoche looked so distraught sitting in that ambulance as he accused Jane of being his puppet master. Jane's response and LaRoche's reply in this The Mentalist quote spoke to the odd affection that seems to have grown between the two…
Jane: I never thought of you as a puppet.
LaRoche: You ever thought of me as a friend? | permalink
I loved watching these two men together. They're both such odd ducks that their relationship is strangely refreshing.
But everyone provided us with great banter in this episode. From Teresa, Wayne and Grace discussing the pros and cons of Tupperware... to Jane comparing LaRoche to a Sharpei puppy, every conversation alluded to a comfort and affection they all had for one another.
And then there was Jane calling Lisbon sexy. Of course he also referred to her as a spinster in the same sentence but I'll settle for the little things.
When Sayney's ex-cellmate mentioned how quiet he was, that's when I knew what was in the box. LaRoche's mother begged for mercy for hours. LaRoche made sure her rapist would never be able to beg for anything ever again.
I did find it amusing that Jane was so concerned for LaRoche's privacy, considering all of this started with him hiring a petty thief to break into the man's home.
As for Brenda, it was about time they took down the evil witch. Whose pocket wasn't she in? Miguel, Volker... maybe Red John?
Other Notes:
- Lisbon did six months of anger management for covering Jane's butt. That would make me angry.
- I couldn't believe Jane locked the poor cat in the safe. I was yelling, No, no no! as he shut the door.
- LaRoche looking down at his belly as Jane said he'd be happy to rub it was hysterical.
- Lisbon telling the team, "Bye, bye. Bring back a drug lord," may have been even funnier.
So is this the last we'll see of LaRoche? I certainly hope not. Do you think Brenda is the only leak in the CBI? And what are your guesses for the final seven Red John suspects. Speculate away as we fast approach The Mentalist season 5 finale, previewed here:
C. Orlando is a TV Fanatic Staff Writer. Follow her on Twitter.Tags: The Mentalist, Reviews
ahah yes Bonaduz that would be nice! Ive just had a friend on the phone and told her how excited I was about the finale, she laughed, of course she thinks I'm nuts. oh well, at least I'm not the only one, if that can be of any comfort..
@entwife-You're right!That hug was felt by both of them!Lisbon is more relaxed when comes to hugging, because Jane taught her well so far!!It's not the wine!!!:))
LOL I'm having so much fun tonight I dont want to leave you. KM Greetings! so good to see you here!
I watch at 9 Central. Luckily I have Game of Thrones at 8 to take care of one hour.
Thanks @KM about the tweet!
@Mimi - yes, poor me! ;-)) But I did see it now. Sometimes all these letters and numbers of the http:... thing don't seem to work on my computer. Or maybe I just don't put them in right (could totally be, I'm a bit coockoo today anyways).
OK - watch the finale and THEN get help. Sounds good! But I have to warn you. It's like being an addict. Once you're cured, you CAN NOT go back to your old ways. Even if it's 4 or 5 month later! Hey - just had a thought. Maybe we should start a self help group like AA. We'd call it ATM's!
hahahaha @bonaduz I think I've got it! You know this last little video has three hugs (have there been four?) in it. The last one before Jane "shot" Lisbon. Her reaction at first seems as reluctant as in the other hugs. But it's not. Lisbon's face looks very different, more deep concern and maybe a small attempt to give comfort by accepting the hug. Maybe it's just a little too much wine.
Hi All,
The crew and I are looking forward to the episode. We have to wait until 22:00 Pacific. Our Pahometowner may be in the same boat, she's our other Pacific Northwestener. I'll have to check your links later @ creamy, they don't work on mobile devices. I'll re-tweet your retweeted tweet from Mimi when I'm next on Twitter @ Entwife. Cheers!
LOL Bonaduz! Huisclothes is in intensive care already!
@Entwife - thank you for the sweet video, I found it now.
@Huisclothes - it's a very special, private treatment for handpicked victims of Janeitis, a rare disease that attacks the central nerve system and spreads from there through the whole body all the way into the tips of fingers and toes. Jittering is one of the symptoms - and uncontrollable viewing of certain TV-shows! You can learn more about it on CBS @ 10.00 p.m. Sunday nights.


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(Updates with economist's comment in the fourth paragraph.)
July 21 (Bloomberg) -- Japan's exports fell less than economists expected as the decline in auto shipments slowed, underscoring the recovery of the world's third-largest economy from the March 11 earthquake and tsunami.
Exports decreased 1.6 percent in June from a year earlier, the slowest fall in four months, the Finance Ministry said today. Shipments increased 5.4 percent in June from May on a seasonally adjusted basis, the fastest gain since February.
Shipments are recovering as manufacturers such as Toyota Motor Corp. restore production damaged by a record temblor. Still, export growth may be threatened by the yen's gain to a four-month high against the dollar, a U.S. economic deceleration and fallout from the European sovereign debt crisis.
"The report showed a recovery in the manufacturing industry, which means supply constraints are definitely easing," said Kohei Okazaki, an economist at Nomura Securities Co. in Tokyo. "The strengthening yen may not have an immediate effect on the export recovery, but in the longer term it may jeopardize Japanese companies' competitiveness."
The yen traded at 78.75 against the dollar at 11:29 a.m. in Tokyo, compared with 78.86 before the report. It has gained almost 4 percent in the past three months, and rose to a four- month high of 78.47 on July 14.
Trade Surplus
The median estimate of 27 economists surveyed by Bloomberg News was for a 4.1 percent decline in overseas shipments. The slower-than-expected decrease in exports helped Japan unexpectedly post a trade surplus last month, of 70.7 billion yen ($898 million), the first in three months.
Economic data so far have underscored the corporate sector's rebound from the March disaster. Industrial production rose at the fastest pace in more than 50 years in May, led by carmakers. Large companies plan to boost capital spending 4.2 percent in the fiscal year ending March 2012, more than economists forecast, the Bank of Japan's Tankan survey showed.
Toyota Motor, the world's biggest carmaker, may return to unrestricted production of all models in October, two weeks earlier than previously planned, Executive Vice President Atsushi Niimi said on July 4.
Automobile Exports
Automobile exports decreased 12.5 percent from a year earlier, the slowest decline since February, according to today's report.
Komatsu Ltd., the world's second-largest construction machinery maker, said Japanese orders increased more than 30 percent in the second quarter from a year earlier, spurred by reconstruction demand, Chief Executive Officer Kunio Noji said last month.
The risk for Japan's export-led recovery is a cloudy overseas outlook. The U.S. unemployment rate rose to 9.2 percent in June, the highest this year, as hiring slowed and earnings stagnated, while manufacturing growth slowed in China, Japan's biggest export market. Investor concern over debt levels in Italy and Spain sent bond yields in those nations to euro-era records this week.
Economic Recovery
"There's a high chance that an economic recovery will be weaker than expected, given the high U.S. jobless rate, the European fiscal problems, and the yen's gain," Hiroaki Muto, a senior economist at Sumitomo Mitsui Asset Management Co. in Tokyo, said before the report.
Japan's central bank will take "decisive" policy action when needed while watching the economy and exchange rates, Deputy Governor Hirohide Yamaguchi said yesterday. The yen's advance could become "problematic" if it becomes a trend, Finance Minister Yoshihiko Noda said last week.
Exports to China, Japan's largest overseas market, rose 1.2 percent in June from a year earlier, the first advance in three months, the report showed. Exports to Europe increased 8 percent, gaining for the first time since March.
Shipments to the U.S. fell 6.1 percent, the slowest pace of decline since March. Imports rose 9.8 percent in June from a year earlier.
Prime Minister Naoto Kan has pledged to step down once the disaster is contained. Political wrangling forced Kan to scale back a second extra budget for rebuilding to 2 trillion yen, only half the size of the first one. The magnitude-9 quake and tsunami in March left more than 20,000 people dead or missing.
Japan's economy may grow at a 4.3 percent annual pace this quarter after contracting at 3 percent in the three months through June, according to the average forecast of 43 economists in a survey by the government-affiliated Economic Planning Association released on July 11. The economy shrank 3.5 percent in the first quarter.
--With assistance from Theresa Barraclough and Minh Bui in Tokyo. Editors: Ken McCallum, Lily Nonomiya
To contact the reporter on this story: Keiko Ujikane in Tokyo at firstname.lastname@example.com
To contact the editor responsible for this story: Paul Panckhurst at email@example.com


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How do you take down the guy who gave us the iPhone, the iPad and the wrinkle-free turtleneck? It helps if you speak fluent nerd.
During an earnings call Monday, Apple CEO Steve Jobs issued what has been described as a five-minute rant (but sounds more like a five-minute reading enthusiastically, if you ask us) about his main mobile rival, Google's Android. Jobs also dismissed his other competitors, including RIM, the company that makes the BlackBerry.
The man behind the Android, Google's Andy Rubin, responded by tweeting (for the first time) in code:
the definition of open: "mkdir android ; cd android ; repo init -u git://android.git.kernel.org/platform/manifest.git ; repo sync ; make"
According to Electricpig.co.uk, "Translated into human, that's the code you need to use Android in its open source form."
One of the CEOs of RIM responded by suggesting that Jobs and Co. live in a "distortion field."
That may be true judging by comments from TweetDeck CEO Iain Dodsworth. Jobs used Dodsworth's popular Twitter client as an example of the "daunting challenge" of writing apps for Android. The developer took to Twitter to refute Jobs' claims. —PZS
Flickr / Lelyanne (CC-BY)
Become a Truthdig Bedrock Supporter
A Progressive Journal of News and Opinion Zuade Kaufman, Publisher Robert Scheer, Editor-in-Chief
© 2014 Truthdig, LLC. All rights reserved.


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On Monday February 27th, 2012, WikiLeaks began publishing The Global Intelligence Files, over five million e-mails from the Texas headquartered "global intelligence" company Stratfor. The e-mails date between July 2004 and late December 2011. They reveal the inner workings of a company that fronts as an intelligence publisher, but provides confidential intelligence services to large corporations, such as Bhopal's Dow Chemical Co., Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Raytheon and government agencies, including the US Department of Homeland Security, the US Marines and the US Defence Intelligence Agency. The emails show Stratfor's web of informers, pay-off structure, payment laundering techniques and psychological methods.
US/AFGHAN/PAKISTAN/GERMANY/USA/UK - BBC Monitoring Afghanistan Briefing 29 Jul 2011
Released on 2012-10-17 17:00 GMT
|2011-08-01 10:29:14
Peace body urges Taleban to give up war
Text of report by Afghan independent Tolo TV on 28 July
[Presenter] The High Peace Council has urged the Taleban to take
warnings from the international community seriously. The secretary of
the High Peace Council believes that the political, military and
security situations are delicate, calling on the Taleban to sit at the
negotiating table with the government of Afghanistan soon. It comes at a
time when yesterday [27 July] the UK special envoy to Afghanistan and
Pakistan, Mark Sedwill, at a conference, said if the Taleban do not give
up war or join the peace process, Afghan and ISAF forces would kill or
capture them.
Shahla Mortazai reports:
[Correspondent] The secretary of the High Peace Council said when
military forces of the world prefer political deals to military ones and
believe that the military deal is not enough, so the Taleban should
understand that they would not succeed through war.
[Mohammad Esmail Qasemyar, secretary of the High Peace Council,
captioned] It is a warning for the Taleban who should understand that
they cannot continue war any longer. In fact they are not in a
confrontational war. Certainly, if war is intensified and continues, the
foreign forces would be serious and would destroy them even inside their
[Correspondent] Mr Qasemyar believes that peaceful solution is a
rational one, saying that the High Peace Council believes that it is
better that the problem is solved peacefully not through war and it
should not lead to a situation in which both sides sustain serious and
irreparable harm.
[Video shows a member of the peace council speaking to camera, archive
video shows a number of foreign forces in an operation in an area of
Afghanistan, a session of the peace council in Kabul.]
Source: Tolo TV, Kabul, in Dari 1330 gmt 28 Jul 11
MP says declaration on ties with USA not binding
Text of report by privately-owned Noor TV on 28 July
[Presenter] The American ambassador to Afghanistan has said that the USA
plans to organize its strategic relations with Afghanistan within a
declaration and not a pact. In the meantime, some political affairs
analysts say that the strategic relations with the USA within a
declaration are not legal. This comes at a time when the government of
Afghanistan has called for a strategic pact with the USA for the future
relations between Kabul and Washington.
Zaher Qaderi reports the details:
[Correspondent] Ryan Crocker, the American ambassador in Kabul, has told
the BBC that strategic relations between the US and Afghanistan will be
arranged in a declaration and not a pact. Meanwhile, some MPs in the
lower house of parliament say that this US decision is not lawful. They
say that a declaration cannot bind the USA and Afghanistan to their
duties and activities.
[MP Abdol Qayyum Sajjadi, captioned] A mere memorandum of understanding
or declaration of cooperation between the two countries never has
legally binding commitments. This declaration, in fact, never makes the
other side have legal commitments towards the other party. It would be a
mere political and moral commitment, and cannot have any executive
guarantee for the future.
[Correspondent] However, some analysts in Afghanistan believe that
building strategic relations with the USA in the framework of a
declaration will be a prelude for long-term relations.
[Omar Sharifi, a political affairs analyst, captioned] Any pact we
finally sign with major countries such as the USA very much depends on
the internal activities and performance of the Afghan government and its
policies. I think that the continuation of the crisis in Afghanistan and
the fact that the USA has doubts about our views towards the USA and the
region make the signing of a pact with the major countries very
difficult whether it is the European Union or the USA.
[Correspondent] However, the national security advisor said in
parliament on Saturday, 23 July that there were differences between
Afghanistan and the USA on how to form their relations, and added that
the strategic relations would not be agreed in the framework of a
[Rangin Dadfar-Spanta, national security advisor, speaking in
parliament] This document must not be a declaration, but it must either
be a pact or an agreement - a pact or agreement the Afghan legislative
body need to either approve or reject. You all know the bodies
authorized to approve or reject such pacts.
[Correspondent] Although discussions are seriously under way between the
USA and Afghanistan on the strategic pact, the discussions have not yet
finalized because of the differences on the conditions set by the two
Source: Noor TV, Kabul, in Dari 1300 gmt 28 Jul 11
MP supports peace talks with Taleban
Text of report by privately-owned Noor TV on 28 July
[Presenter] Afghan MPs have criticized those individuals who want to
create hurdles for the peace and reconciliation process with the
Taleban. They also say the continuation of the war is not the solution
to the current crisis in Afghanistan and the government of Afghanistan
should hold peace talks with the Taleban to achieve peace and stability
in the country. They also say the only solution to the current crisis in
Afghanistan is a change to the political system and the establishment of
a federal system instead of a presidential system in the country. This
comes at a time when some political analysts say that, taking into
consideration the current shortcomings and lack of the required capacity
in Afghanistan, a federal system cannot produce a positive result.
Shafiqollah Salangi reports:
[Correspondent] While speaking at a gathering in Kabul today attended by
some members of parliament, Abdol Latif Pedram, a member of the lower
house of parliament and the leader of National Congress Party of
Afghanistan, strongly criticized some individuals who want to create
hurdles for the peace process with the Taleban. He also said the
continuation of war is not the solution to the current crisis in
Afghanistan and the government should hold talks with the Taleban if
they want to ensure a lasting peace in the country.
[Abdol Latif Pedram, captioned as an MP] In fact, there is no solution
other than holding peace talks with the Taleban, because they are the
warring side who are fighting against the government. We clearly said in
sessions among members of the National Congress Party that peace talks
should be held with the Taleban to put an end to the current crisis in
Afghanistan. In fact, one cannot realistically oppose peace talks with
the Taleban, because opposing peace talks means the continuation of war.
Most importantly, the government of Afghanistan is unable to fight
against the Taleban, but some officials say that the government should
not make peace with the Taleban and should fight against them, while the
government is unable to fight against them they expect US forces to
fight against the Taleban.
[Correspondent] He also said the only way to address the current
political crisis in Afghanistan is to change of the political system and
establish a federal system instead of a presidential system because, as
he put it, it can address the challenges Afghanistan faces in the
current situation.
[Abdol Latif Pedram] In fact, the only way to restore the rights of
Afghan citizens and address some disagreements between Afghan tribes is
to establish a federal system in Afghanistan. In fact, federalism does
not mean opposing the central government, but means the right
distribution of power between the central government and federal
governments. In fact, some import national issues such as war, peace,
ceasefire, foreign policy and important economic strategy are decided by
the central government, and federal governments have limited and legal
authority to decide on some other important issues.
[Correspondent] But some political analysts oppose the establishment of
a federal system and say Afghanistan does not yet have the capacity to
accept a federal system in the current situation.
[Unnamed political analyst] In fact, MP Latif Pedram explained in his
speech the structure of the political systems in Afghanistan, in the
region and around the world. But unfortunately, the people of
Afghanistan do not have enough information about a federal system and
when someone talks about federalism, the people think about the
partition of Afghanistan.
[Correspondent] This comes at a time when officials in the National
Congress Party have said that they have held talks with some political
figures and leaders of all political parties to seek ways to change the
political system of Afghanistan from presidential system to federal
system by 2014 and after the withdrawal of foreign forces from
[Video shows an MP and a political analyst speaking; archive footage of
a gathering].
Source: Noor TV, Kabul, in Dari 1300 gmt 28 Jul 11
Protesting candidates slam foreign circles
Text of report by Afghan independent Tolo TV on 28 July
[Presenter] Some inside and outside circles, including some embassies
and foreign officials in Kabul, are trying to make change in the special
election court's decision. The winning candidates announced by the
special election court have claimed that these circles are trying to put
pressure on the president to meet their demands.
Tamim Hamid reports:
[People chanting "God is Great"]
[Correspondent] The continued controversial elections! These are the
people who have come from northern Jowzjan Province to Kabul. It is a
trip to support the special election court's decision and stress that
the decision should be put into practice.
[A protestor] We came here not to lose our rights.
[Correspondent] This time an issue over inside and outside interventions
to change the special election court's decision is mentioned. It comes
at a time when the appeal court has started its work on this.
[Daud Soltanzoi, winning candidate announced by the special election
court, captioned, in Pashto] It is called a crisis. On the one hand, the
international community comes here and hoists flags in Afghanistan and
the transition process continues; on the other, the people of
Afghanistan want to see practical examples of the transition process.
However, Europeans and foreigners exert political pressure.
[Correspondent] Amid all, it is warned that the continued crisis would
make the Taleban's claim about the current system true.
[Abdoljabar Shelgarai, winning candidate announced by the special
election court, captioned, in Pashto] If the president wants to
implement the decision, he should not surrender to [UN special envoy to
Afghanistan Staffan] de Mistura and foreign embassies' pressure. The
president should not surrender to others' uproars as that one has
cancelled his 18-year service in jail illegally, but he speaks about
collection of thousands of weapons. Thus, it is not necessary for the
president to come under the influence of these uproars. He has kept
cases of smugglers and come under their influence.
[Correspondent] However, what is the solution?
[Qazi Monira, winning candidate announced by the special election court,
captioned] Those who say their rights have been trampled on or the court
worked against the law should refer to the appeal court and state their
objections and put to an end to the problem.
[Correspondent] Almost a year has passed since the parliamentary
election was held. However, controversies over the elections have
remained unsolved.
[Video shows a number of protesting candidates speaking at a gathering,
archive video shows the parliamentary election.]
Source: Tolo TV, Kabul, in Dari 1330 gmt 28 Jul 11
TV debates Karzai remarks about peace process
An Afghan political analyst and former MP, Moein Merastyal, has said
that President Karzai's recent remarks, his demand from the Taleban to
join the peace process and his strong support for the security
transition process are promising for the people of Afghanistan because
they want the Afghan security forces to take over security
responsibility from foreign forces. He also said that it was also a good
message for the Afghan security forces because they think they have now
found the required military capacity to ensure security on their own and
defend the territorial integrity and national sovereignty of their
Speaking on the "End of the Line" talk show aired live on private Noor
TV on 27 July, Merastyal said: "In fact, if the Taleban and some other
government's armed opponents continue to launch destructive attacks in
those areas where security has been handed over to Afghanistan security
forces and target specific individuals and government bodies, it means
that they support presence of foreign forces in Afghanistan. That
apparently means that Afghan security forces are unable to ensure proper
security and defend their borders and foreign force should continue to
remain in Afghanistan. I think that the main reason behind President
Karzai's recent remarks was that he called on the Taleban and conveyed a
clear message that if they want NATO and other foreign forces to leave
Afghanistan, they should desist from fighting, join the Afghan
government's peace and reconciliation process and let Afghan security
forces get strengthened and stand back on their own feet, so t! hat they
can take over security responsibility of all the provinces of
Afghanistan and pave the way for NATO to pull out its military troops
from Afghanistan. Therefore, I believe that NATO, ISAF and other foreign
forces will continue to remain in Afghanistan as long as the Taleban
continue to fight against the government of Afghanistan, so if they want
them to pull out from Afghanistan and put an end to the current war in
the country, they should stop their terror and destructive activities,
so that the ground should be prepared for them to leave, otherwise the
war will continue and it will be proved that the Taleban are slaves of
foreign countries who want to cause insecurity in Afghanistan and will
increase people's hatred for them."
MP Saddiqqizada Nili said he supported the security transition process
and the people of Afghanistan were also very happy that their security
forces have now become strong and can ensure security for their cities
and provinces. He added: "Although the people are very happy, they are
also concerned to some extent, so I hope that the government of
Afghanistan can succeed in addressing the people's concerns in this
regard. If we take a brief look at the creation of the Taleban, we can
find out that the Taleban were created and supported by different
countries, including Pakistan and the United States. Therefore, the
Taleban and some other government's armed opponents are regarded as a
good pretext for foreign forces to remain in Afghanistan. In fact,
regional and Western countries wanted to have a military presence in
Afghanistan since a long time, so the presence of Taleban and the
continuation of war in Afghanistan can, one way or another, pave the way
for them! to stay in Afghanistan and achieve their goals. On the other
hand, the Taleban and some other government's armed opponents will
continue to cause insecurity and launch destructive activities in
Afghanistan even if foreign forces leave Afghanistan, because the
Taleban act based on orders of foreign circles, so President Karzai's
recent remarks and his suggestion to the Taleban to stop launching
attacks will not produce any positive result in the future."
Asked his opinion about Western countries secret plans to use the
Taleban as a pretext to remain in Afghanistan, Merastyal said: "I think
that foreign forces, including the US forces, will not express readiness
to leave Afghanistan completely because President Obama has announced
that some 10,000 US force will pull out from Afghanistan by the end 2011
and some others will pull out from Afghanistan by the end of 2014, but
will not completely leave Afghanistan. In my judgement, there are two
main reasons why the US government wants to pull out or reduce its
military forces from Afghanistan. First of all, the US government is now
under intense pressure by the American people and they want their sons
and daughters to return home as soon as possible. This is because, they
think that although the US government has spent billions of dollars in
Afghanistan and US forces also sustain casualties with every passing
day, they have not yet seen any conspicuous military or ! diplomatic
achievement in Afghanistan. On the other hand, the US government faces
an economic problem in the current situation and cannot afford the
expenses of hundreds of thousands of US soldiers in Afghanistan.
Therefore, taking into consideration the abovementioned points, I
believe that the US government is really determined to withdraw
thousands of US forces from Afghanistan by 2014. Also, one cannot turn a
blind eye to some facts that perhaps foreign forces use the Taleban and
some other government's armed opponents as a pretext to remain in
Afghanistan and achieve their long-term objectives. As you know, when
Western countries spend billions of dollars in Afghanistan, it means
that they have long-term goals both in Afghanistan and in the regional
and they want to achieve their goals."
Asked his idea about the Taleban's objectives behind the intensification
of war and violence in Afghanistan, Saddiqqizada Nili said: "I believe
that it is very difficult to give clear definition from the Taleban, and
as you know, the Taleban were created by some foreign countries for some
specific reasons and they have now been divided into different groups
and have different ideas. Therefore, it is clear that the only reason
behind their insurgency is not the presence of foreign forces here. I
also want to criticize President Karzai for softening his stance on the
Taleban and calling them as disaffected brothers. As you know, the more
the government of Afghanistan has softened its stance on the Taleban,
the more they have killed government officials, jihadi figures and
tribal elders. Therefore, I believe that the government should fight
against the Taleban and weaken them, so that they are forced to join the
peace and reconciliation process and also, Presiden! t Karzai should no
longer turn a blind eye to facts in the Afghan society and tell the
people of Afghanistan the truth."
Merastyal, joined in, and said that it is very important to ask: are the
Taleban independent? He added: "In fact, the Taleban are not independent
and they have been divided into different groups and most of them are
linked to spy agencies of some neighbouring and regional countries.
Therefore, taking into consideration the abovementioned point, it is
very difficult for the government of Afghanistan to make them join the
peace and reconciliation process, because they do not have a single idea
and each group thinks about its own interests both in Afghanistan and in
the region."
Source: Noor TV, Kabul, in Dari 1400 gmt 27 Jul 11
Foreign forces reportedly aiding Taleban
Commenting on a recent US Department of Defence which said the Taleban
had received some of the US money in Afghanistan directly or indirectly,
political analyst Wahid Mozhda said on 27 July that the Taleban had two
kinds of funding sources - external and internal.
Commenting on a talk show on Tolo News TV, Mozhda said "The external
source mainly consists of the donations made by Arab countries. Although
the USA has tried to block these channels, it has proved very difficult
given the progress in the area of information technology, because
nowadays one can transfer money from one place to another even with a
code sent via a mobile phone message."
According to Mozhda, the internal financing sources of the Taleban are
more important, because it has been said that the Taleban are financed
from the drug business in Afghanistan. He said "I do not think the only
domestic source for the Taleban is the drugs and opium, because the
money they receive from opium is a small amount and cannot pay for all
the costs of their war all around Afghanistan. They collect a 10 per
cent tax on opium and wheat in the areas where they have control."
He added: "But the main source of finance, which is very valuable for
the Taleban, is the highways. The highways are important for the
Taleban, because they have numerous financing sources there. In 2005,
the Taleban appointed Mullah Agha Jan Mo'tasem as their head of finance.
He was the minister of finance for a while during the Taleban regime.
The Taleban website once wrote that Mullah Agha Jan had managed to take
some measures during the Taleban regime to tackle the USA's sanctions in
those days." He further said that Mullah Beradar, as the mastermind of
the Taleban, also tried to reduce the Taleban's reliance on foreign
financial sources. Therefore, they tried to find other sources of
finance inside the country and identified the highways and development
projects as a sustainable source. When a development project is
implemented in an insecure area, the donors pay another budget besides
the main estimation for security purposes. This budget is actually for!
the implementing agency or company to hire security guards for the
project implementation site. But the implementing companies pay the
security budget to the Taleban and start implementing the project. This
is only one case. There are dozens of other similar cases. For instance,
how the security companies pay the Taleban and how the competition among
security companies causes the Taleban to receive money. For instance,
one security company is hired to transport some commodities to Marja
District in Helmand. Some other company pays the Taleban to attack the
convoy in order to discredit the winner company before the foreigners.".
Political and security expert, Jawed Kohestani said on the same talk
show that the government and the Taleban were involved in collecting tax
from the opium farmers in the country in the beginning. He said "In
order to protect the farmers' opium fields, even district governors
appointed by the central government would collect a 10 per cent tax."
He also said that the election process was a funding source for the
Taleban and added: "The Taleban received money from the parliamentary
candidates or allowed their ideal candidates to run for the parliament.
The Taleban even collected voting cards for their favourite candidates
in the south and filled the ballot boxes for them, particularly in
Paktika, Paktia, Helmand and some other provinces." He also agreed that
the transportation companies pay the Taleban huge amounts of money
saying "When trucks go from Kandahar to Urozgan, 8,000 dollars is paid
per container to the transportation company. The companies divide this
amount with the Taleban in the province."
Kohestani said that even political leaders and the elite in the country
had paid money to the Taleban in order to protect their lives, adding:
"They have relations with the Taleban. They pay the Taleban in the name
of cooperation or friendly relations. In addition, the foreigners also
have influence among the Taleban. They provide them with logistical
support and cash. Look at the development budget of Kandahar and
Helmand. Even the parliament complained about it, because it was above
500 million dollars in the past years. While in Bamian, the development
budget was only 10 million dollars. Despite the above amount, the
projects have not been implemented. All the money has been received by
the Taleban."
He said that mafia groups inside Afghanistan, Pakistan and even the USA
play a role in supporting terrorism and the Taleban. "A report was
published a few years ago that more than 90,000 weapons went missing on
route from Karachi to Afghanistan. Even the US Congress expressed
concern about it" he said.
Reporter and journalist Sanjar Sohail criticized the government for
being unable to control its respective bodies and officials not to
cooperate with the Taleban. He said "The Afghan government is not a good
partner for the USA. The Afghan government has not cooperated in many
cases with the Americans based on the report of the American inspector.
For instance, the Americans have identified some Afghan officials and
other Afghan individuals, who have committed financial crimes and money
laundering, but the Afghanistan Attorney General Office has not
cooperated in terms of prosecuting them."
He also said that the Afghan government has failed to ensure security of
the private companies in Afghanistan which has forced these companies to
pay the Taleban. He said "Naturally, the Taleban is an illegal group and
an illegal group does not use legal methods to get financed. Therefore,
the Taleban have different sources at their disposal to get financed."
He added "The Taleban do not have a unified leadership or financial
system. In fact, the name Taleban has changed into an identity for other
criminal and opportunist groups. Other illegal groups commit crimes,
kill the people and block the highways, but they hide themselves under
the name of the Taleban, because this name is of an illegal group with
which one cannot be legally prosecuted."
Wahed Mozhda spoke again, accusing foreign forces of paying money to the
Taleban. He said "If you remember, the Afghan parliament debated the
news of provision of weapons to the Taleban by the UK in the south.
Besides, 10 French soldiers were killed in Sorobi District of Kabul
Province while the Italian soldiers had no casualties in the same area
before the French troops came. The Italians paid money to the Taleban."
He further said "These are some of the issues which we notice. The
foreigners ignore some of the issues. They want to have a lower level of
casualties so that they will not be pressured by the public opinion in
their own countries. As a result, while they stand along the USA in the
war against terrorism, they also want to come along with the Taleban
Mozhda added "Since implementing companies of reconstruction projects
pay money to the Taleban, the quality of the projects is very low. This
is why nobody can explain the billions of dollars spent on the
reconstruction of Afghanistan. Most part of this money has been spent on
inflaming the war because insecurity has increased and expanded in the
past 10 years."
Sanjar Sohail said that the Afghan government may not be able to ask for
an explanation from the USA about the Taleban's access to their funds
because the government has not taken serious action against corruption
in the country. He said: "As mentioned earlier, a great number of the
transportation companies belong to relatives of high ranking government
officials, former leaders of Afghanistan, warlords and local powerful
individuals. The Afghan government has had a very friendly relationship
with these individuals in the past 10 years. And we have noticed in
several occasions that the government is scared of these individuals and
treats them with compromise. Therefore, I do not see any signs of
serious action by the Afghan government in this regard."
Jawed Kohestani also criticized governors and district governors saying:
"The governors, police chiefs and district governors pay money to the
Taleban and give them other privileges such as weapons, bullets, etc,
because they do not want to be defamed in the central government as weak
officials. The governors want to stay on political power and; therefore,
they support the Taleban."
Kohestani suggested that the Afghan government should create a unitary
office to monitor and control the government officials in the capital
and provinces.
Source: Tolo News, Kabul, in Dari 1530 gmt 27 Jul 11
Twenty civilians die in Helmand blasts
Text of report by private Pakistan-based Afghan Islamic Press news
Lashkargah, 29 July: Twenty people have died and three others have been
wounded in separate blasts in Helmand Province. Two separate blasts in
Nahr-e Saraj District and Garmser districts of Helmand Province on
Friday [29 July] left 20 civilians dead and three others wounded.
The intelligence police chief of Helmand Province, Kamaloddin Sherzad,
told Afghan Islamic Press [AIP] in a fresh contact on Friday that today,
29 July, a passenger minibus struck a landmine in the Baluchan area of
Nahr-e Saraj District of Helmand Province as a result of which all 18
people on the bus were killed including women and elderly people.
In the meantime, an official of the Emergency Hospital in Lashkargah,
the capital of Helmand Province, told AIP that today that a tractor hit
a landmine in Garmser District, killing two civilians and wounding three
others, including a child.
He said that the wounded were rushed to the hospital in foreign
So far, no one has claimed responsibility for the incidents.
It is worth pointing out that a large number of civilians also lose
their lives, in addition to local and foreign forces and officials, in
the landmines and blasts in Afghanistan every week, and none of warring
sides claim responsibility for the killings nor have they managed to
find a solution to these problems.
Source: Afghan Islamic Press news agency, Peshawar, in Pashto 0715 gmt
29 Jul 11
Fatal clash between police, insurgents in north
Text of report by privately-owned Noor TV on 29 July
The Taleban have attacked a police post in the Dehsala District of
Baghlan Province, killing one person and wounding five others. The clash
erupted following the attack this morning on a security post 2 km from
the bazaar of Dehsala District is still continuing. Abdol Hanan
Andarabi, the governor of Dehsala District, has told Noor TV over the
phone that one civilian has been killed and five others, including three
police personnel, wounded in the clash so far. He added that support
forces had been deployed to the site of the clash.
Source: Noor TV, Kabul, in Dari 1300 gmt 29 Jul 11
Gunmen attack home of provincial councillor
Text of report by private Pakistan-based Afghan Islamic Press news
Herat, 29 July: Two people were wounded in an attack on the house of a
provincial council member. On Friday, 29 July, the home of a member of
provincial council of western Herat Province was attacked as a result of
which two were wounded, including his brother.
Giving details of the report, the head of provincial council of Herat
Province, Dr Zaher Faizada, told Afghan Islamic Press [AIP]: On Friday,
a number of armed men went to the home of a member of provincial
council, Soholat Khan Nurzai, and asked his security guards about
Soholat Khan, and the armed men then left the house after getting the
Dr Faizada added: Another group of gunmen then entered his house and
told the security guards of Soholat Khan that they want to meet him, but
when the security guards prevented the gunmen, the latter then opened
fire at the security guards and wounded two of them.
The head of provincial council says that one of the wounded is brother
of Soholat Khan who was serving as security guard.
When asked whether it was a politically motivated incident or it had any
personal cause, the head of provincial council said: Members of the
provincial council do not have any personal enmity. The armed opponents
of the government are trying to eliminate government employees, and the
attack on the home of Soholat Khan Nurzai was also a political and
terrorist attack.
No one has claimed responsibility for the attack yet.
Source: Afghan Islamic Press news agency, Peshawar, in Pashto 0955 gmt
29 Jul 11
Abductors kill two civilians
Text of report by private Pakistan-based Afghan Islamic Press news
Herat, 29 July: Fifteen people have been abducted. Abductors have killed
two of the 15 people they abducted in Farah Province. The police chief
of Farah Province, Syed Mohammad Roshandel, has told Afghan Islamic
Press [AIP] that yesterday, 28 July, the armed opponents of the
government abducted 15 civilians in Porchaman District of the province.
He added: The opponents abducted 15 civilians in a remote area of
Porchaman District and yesterday evening they killed two of them.
According to the Farah police chief, the police are not present in that
area and the motive for the abduction of the people is also not clear.
He, however, says that the armed opponents of the government want to
intimidate ordinary people by such acts.
In the meantime, Taleban spokesman Qari Mohammad Yusuf Ahmadi, told AIP
that yesterday evening, the Taleban attacked a police post in the Deh
Khan area of Porchaman District, killing one police soldier, and
capturing four others.
No one has claimed responsibility for the abduction of 15 people in the
district yet.
It is worth pointing out that dozens of people were also reportedly
abducted in the district some weeks ago, and no one claimed
responsibility for the abduction.
Source: Afghan Islamic Press news agency, Peshawar, in Pashto 1013 gmt
29 Jul 11
Taleban give details of Tarin Kot attacks
Text of report headlined "Latest report: Nearly 100 foreign and internal
soldiers killed or wounded in today's attacks in Urozgan Province",
carried by Afghan Taleban Voice of Jihad website on 28 July
[Taleban spokesman] Qari Yusof Ahmadi: Six self-sacrificing mojahedin of
the Islamic Emirate - Nazir Ahmad and Mohammad Qasem, residents of
Kandahar Province; Hamid and Abu Bakr, residents of Nimroz Province and
Ahmadollah and Sarajoddin, residents of Urozgan Province, who were
equipped with hand grenades, rocket launchers, bayonets, and light and
heavy weapons, entered the Urozgan Province governor's house at around
1200 [local time] today [0730 gmt]. Upon entering the building, they
carried out armed attacks on foreign and internal officials who had
gathered there to appoint a replacement for Jaan Mohammad Khan, the
former governor and Hamed Karzai's senior adviser, who had been killed
According to the details, at the beginning of the attacks three of the
mojahedin detonated their vehicles which were full of explosives at the
governor's house, at the headquarters of Matiollah, the commander of
highways of the province, and at the watchtower of the provincial
security command. With the removal of these obstacles as a result of the
deadly explosions, the remaining three mojahedin entered the governor's
house and began relentless shooting at people inside which led to heavy
and large-scale fighting that continued until the evening.
The local jihadi officials say in the course of these attacks the
mojahedin also carried out tactical explosions and armed attacks on
enemy centres and soldiers at various parts of Tarinkot city with the
aim of preventing reinforcements arriving at the scene of attacks.
The news source say nearly 100 internal and foreign soldiers were either
killed or wounded in the attacks which ended a short while ago.
According to the reliable information, 53 soldiers were killed or
wounded as a result of the attacks on the highways command alone. Six
American soldiers were also killed.
It is said that Commander Matiollah, the highways commander, and Khdoy
Rahim Khan, the deputy governor of the province, are among a large
number of other senior officials who were killed or wounded. Reliable
information about the fate of the above-mentioned individuals is
currently not available.
As the attacks continued, American helicopters relentlessly fired on the
governor's house as a result of which the governor's office and the
nearby buildings have all been destroyed.
In addition to the loss of life inflicted on the enemy in today's
tactical attacks a large number of military and supply vehicles have
been destroyed or damaged at the governor's house, the security command
and the highways command.
According to the city's residents, as the attacks began the police
guarding the city and internal and foreign soldiers fled the area. The
mojahedin inflicted heavy loss of life and material on the enemy during
their attacks which continued for nearly seven hours.
A report by the officials of the province alleging that civilians
suffered casualties in today's attacks is not true. This is because
civilians were not allowed in the area today as the major meeting
between the internal and foreign forces was being held at the governor's
house to discuss the said specific subject.
We should also say that in the course of the attacks the American
helicopters dropped bombs on a hospital near the scene of the attacks as
a result of which a number of women and children were either killed or
In conclusion we express our sorrow over the martyrdom of a reporter of
the Pajhwok news agency. He lost his life in today's attacks in his
office which was situated next to the highways command.
The military affairs officials of the Islamic Emirate say today's hero
attackers have carried out very successful attacks on the enemy and all
six of them were martyred in this unprecedented attack. We are from God
and to Him we return.
Source: Voice of Jihad website, in Pashto 28 Jul 11
Taleban report attack on government official
Text of report headlined "Urozgan: Head of endowment seriously wounded",
carried by Afghan Taleban Voice of Jihad website on 28 July
[Taleban spokesman] Qari Yusof Ahmadi: According to a report from
Urozgan Province, Tor Mullah, the head of the endowment department of
the province, was seriously wounded as a result of an armed attack in
Tarin Kot, the centre of the province.
The report says the above-mentioned official was on his way home when he
came under an armed attack by the mojahedin and was seriously wounded.
It is said that two other people were also wounded in the attack.
It is worth pointing out that recently the mojahedin have intensified
their attacks on high-ranking officials in the centre of this province.
One week ago, Mawlawi Lal Mohammad, the head of the provincial council,
was seriously wounded as a result of a similar armed attack.
Source: Voice of Jihad website, in Pashto 28 Jul 11
Taleban report attacks on US forces
Text of report entitled "Paktia: Three tanks destroyed, four soldiers
killed in Janikhel" and published by Afghan Taleban Voice of Jihad
website on 28 July:
[Taleban spokesman] Zabihollah Mojahed: According to a report from
Janikhel District of Paktia Province, fierce fighting has taken place
with the invading soldiers.
The report says the fighting took place at 1500 [local time] this
afternoon when a motorised patrol of the American soldiers fell into an
ambush by the mojahedin in the Robat village of the district.
The report adds the attack was carried out on a number of American tanks
which arrived in Janikhel District three days ago to carry out
operations. Some 40 tanks of the invading soldiers have arrived in the
district and are engaged in carrying operations in various areas of the
According to local mojahedin, two armoured tanks were hit by rocket
launchers in the fighting and were totally destroyed.
The report adds more soldiers arrive in the area after the fighting in
order to remove the casualties from the scene. They too came under
attack by 82mm artillery. According to the details, one tank was hit
with an 82 mm shell and was totally destroyed.
According to eyewitnesses, four American soldiers lost their lives, five
others were seriously wounded in both attacks.
The mojahedin of the Islamic emirate did not suffer any casualties in
the fighting.
Source: Voice of Jihad website, in Pashto 28 Jul 11
Taleban report attack on US patrol
Text of report headlined "Urozgan: Mojahedin kill four American soldiers
in Charchino", carried by Afghan Taleban Voice of Jihad website on 28
[Taleban spokesman] Qari Yusof Ahmadi: An armed attack has been carried
out on a patrol of the American soldiers in Charchino District of
Urozgan Province.
According to a report, the incident took place at around 1000 [local
time] yesterday morning when the American soldiers fell into an ambush
by the mojahedin as they left their headquarters in the Khud Nawa area
of the district. Four American soldiers were killed instantly and two
others were seriously wounded in the attack.
Source: Voice of Jihad website, in Pashto 28 Jul 11
UN reopens office in Mazar-e Sharif
Text of report by Afghan independent Tolo TV on 28 July
The UN local office in Mazar-e Sharif [provincial capital of northern
Balkh] was reopened today after four months. The office was closed on 12
Hamal [1 April] this year after a group of protestors attacked the
office, killing eight employees of the office.
According to a press release by the Balkh governor's office, Staffan de
Mistura, UN special envoy to Afghanistan, at a meeting with Atta
Mohammad Nur, Balkh governor, introduced the new head of the office.
[Archive video shows a number of protestors attacking the UN local
office in Mazar-e Sharif; some areas of the province; the UN
Source: Tolo TV, Kabul, in Dari 1330 gmt 28 Jul 11
Germany reiterates long-term commitment
Text of report by Afghan independent Tolo TV on 28 July
[Presenter] Germany has believed that the peace process by the
government of Afghanistan with the Taleban will produce [positive]
results. The German foreign minister in an exclusive interview with Tolo
News said the reconciliation process and reintegration would produce
results. The German official added that Germany would continue its
assistance to Afghanistan after 2014 and would not leave Afghanistan
alone. The German foreign minister believes that the transfer of
responsibility for security to Afghan forces is a progress.
Shakila Ebrahimkhel reports:
[Correspondent] The German foreign minister in an exclusive interview
with Tolo News spoke about his country's long-term commitment to
Afghanistan after 2014. The German senior official is in the view that
the transfer of responsibility for security to Afghan forces is a
development, stressing the training of Afghan forces.
[German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle, in English, with Dari
translation overlaid] We would continue our cooperation by 2014.
However, it does not mean we stop our cooperation with Afghanistan. I am
assuring you that the German government would not halt its contributions
and cooperation to Afghanistan. It would continue its contributions now
and after 2014.
[Correspondent] The German foreign minister once again backed the
government's peace talks with the Taleban, saying that the process would
produce results.
[German foreign minister] We agreed on a political process in the London
Conference. I think that to hold talks is necessary. We are thinking
that the peace process and reintegration would produce results,
therefore we have started our programmes based on that and would
continue to do so.
[Correspondent] The German foreign minister said his country was proud
to host the second Bonn Conference that is to be held in Bonn city of
Germany on 5 December current year, adding that the conference would be
led by Afghans. He said the conference would discuss and hold talks on
three key points, especially the transition process and developments of
the process, reconciliation, reintegration and also specifying of the
international community's role after 2014 in Afghanistan.
The German foreign minister was asked: have the Taleban been invited to
take part in the second Bonn Conference? Although he refrained from
commenting on this, he spoke about progress made with regard to this.
[Video shows the German foreign minister speaking to camera; archive
video shows a number of armed rebels; a number of foreign forces in an
area of Afghanistan; the German foreign minister; the Balkh governor and
the head of the security transition process of Afghanistan at a joint
news conference in northern Balkh Province]
Source: Tolo TV, Kabul, in Dari 1330 gmt 28 Jul 11
BBC reporter's killing by Taleban condemned
Excerpts from report by Afghan independent Tolo TV on 29 July
[Presenter] Organizations defending the rights of media and reporters
have described any attacks on civilians, especially media and reporters,
as war crimes and crimes against humanity. These organizations strongly
condemn the killing of civilians, especially Omid Khpolwak, a reporter
of the BBC and Pajhwok, and warn that the Taleban will be harmed if they
repeat the attack on reporters and media. These reactions are made after
seven suicide bombers attacked the governor's office, headquarters of
provincial TV station and the rapid reaction force unit in Uruzgan
Province yesterday [28 July] that left nearly 60 people killed and
Shakila Ibrahimkhel reports:
[Correspondent] Armed Taleban attacked government buildings in Tarin
Kot, the capital of Urozgan Province, yesterday, which also includes an
attack for the first time on the headquarters of the national television
station of the province. In this attack, 21 people, including Ahmad Omid
Khpolwak, a reporter of the BBC, were killed, and 37 others wounded.
[Passage omitted: Correspondent reads out part of the statement issued
by the BBC World Service on the killing of Khpolwak]
[Correspondent] Brother of Omid Khpolwak has told the organizations
defending rights of reporters that some 12 bullets hit his brother. He
says that when Omid Khpolwak was awaiting his death, he sent to phone
messages to him, his brother.
[Text of the two messages on the screen, also read out by the
correspondent] "I am hiding myself and death is approaching me. If I am
killed, pray for me".
[Correspondent] The attack by the armed Taleban on the provincial
headquarters of national television and the killing of Omid Khpolwak, a
BBC reporter, have drawn harsh reactions from organizations defending
the rights of reporters. These media advocacy organizations strongly
condemn the attack, and describe attacks on public places and media as
horrifying crimes.
[Sediqollah Towhedi, the head of Free Media Watch, captioned] I hope
that the Taleban bear in mind that the media are acting impartially, and
the media and reporters and headquarters of the media are civilian
buildings and any attack on them is a crime both from the viewpoint of
God and those he has created.
[Correspondent] Organizations defending the media and reporters say that
such attacks are carried out by the Pakistani military intelligence
agency [ISI], and Pakistan wants to eliminate the Afghan media outlets
for the fear it us from these media, tries to prevent the people of
Afghanistan from making progress.
[Abdol Hamid Mobarez, head of national union of Afghanistan's
journalists] Unfortunately, some attacks had been carried out on
schools, and now, the fact that the national radio and television, which
is part of the public assets of Afghanistan, is attacked, shows that
they are in fact violating our Islamic commandments, and we strongly
condemn this. This will have negative consequences.
[Correspondent] The organizations defending the media warn that attack
on the media and reporters will have negative consequences for the
[Sediqollah Towhedi, the head of Free Media Watch, captioned] The
Taleban must not attack reporters and media, and if they attack them,
they must know that they will not achieve victory by such acts, and the
people will hate them more.
[Correspondent] In the meantime, President Karzai has strongly condemned
the killing of Ahmad Omid Khpolwak. And other organizations defending
reporters in Helmand and Herat and the governor of Maydan Wardag have
also strongly condemned the killing of Ahmad Omid Khpolwak.
[Video shows photos of Khpolwak over stills; text of the statement by
the BBC World Service; text of the messages Khpolwak sent to his
brother; scene of a blast in Kabul downtown]
Source: Tolo TV, Kabul, in Dari 1330 gmt 29 Jul 11
BBC Mon SA1 SAsPol lm
(c) Copyright British Broadcasting Corporation 2011


text:
Unbiased Reviews by Real People
Don't you just hate it when you get really hooked on a TV show, and then a few seasons into it, one of the biggest fan favorite characters leaves, and even if it's an amicable departure agreed upon by the actor and The Powers That Be, it becomes apparent that the show's never going to feel the same as it did in its early years? I bring this up because it's an experience that is analogous to how many fans of the folk/rock band Caedmon's Call seemed to feel when Derek Webb left the band in 2003. It's a story that I've hashed and rehashed several times, so I won't go into great detail about it here other than to say that the loss of his voice and his instrumental and songwriting talents definitely changed the band. Personally, I don't think it was for the worse (though it seemed so initially) - they picked up Andrew Osenga, former frontman for The Normals, and proceeded to put out what I thought was the best album of their career, 2004's Share the Well. Did I still miss Derek? Sure. But they proved that they could make great music without him (Derek himself cited that album as ranking among the group's best despite him having nothing to do with it), and that they could break from the format of their "classic" albums and draw listeners into a whole different musical experience where well-told stories gave listeners a better understanding of the lives of people that the members of Caedmon's had met in some of the third world countries that they had visited.
But that was three years ago, and I've gushed more than enough about that album already. The big news now seems to be that Derek's back with Caedmon's Call. You see, somewhere along the way, the group figured out that their label, Essential Records, had done squat to promote Share the Well, and then in 2006, strong-armed the band into putting out a rather pedestrian "worship sequel" album, In the Company of Angels II, in hopes of recapturing the success of the first installment from 2001. Enough was enough. They got out of that contract and made no secret that they were glad to be free, even going so far as to label their summer 2007 tour the "Emancipation Tour". Then they signed with INO, the same label that's been putting out Derek's solo albums over the years. I'm not sure who it dawned on first - Derek or the other folks in the band - but suddenly, Derek's outspokenness and his occasionally controversial way of explaining theological concepts that mattered to him didn't pose a threat to the band's ability to stay in their record label's good graces. So his return isn't something I see as a ploy to get old fans back - it's just that he no longer had to worry that he might drag down their image. And so it came to be that Derek became a fully involved participant in the group's newest album, Overdressed.
But what's fascinating to me is not so much the fact that Derek's back, because in truth, he's really just a special guest star, with no long-term plans to remain part of the group. What's interesting is that the special guest star now gets to share top billing with both his former bandmates and the guy they brought in to replace him. I always suspected that Andrew Osenga had a little more to offer the group than he had let on so far, and of course they weren't just gonna kick him to the curb in order to free up a spot for Derek. The seven-member band simply became eight, and now they've got three guitarists, and four vocalists to shuffle in and out of the spotlight (Derek, Andy, and the group's bread-and-butter, Cliff and Danielle Young). Hearing Derek and Andy on the same record together is a treat, too - like two different periods of the band's past colliding. Indeed, they'd have suffered for it if Derek's return meant that Andy had to go - he wrote or co-wrote the lion's share of the album (along with frequent Caedmon's collaborator Randall Goodgame), while Derek and his wife Sandra McCracken handled the rest. Pretty much all of Share the Well came from the pens of Osenga, Goodgame, and keyboardist Josh Moore (who surprisingly doesn't have any writing credits this time around), so 2/3 of that team plus Webb and McCracken's gotta make this album a sure-fire winner, right?
Well, almost. There's certainly a smattering of interesting ideas, a few sounds that Caedmon's hasn't really played with before, and that lovable "community" feel that you get from hearing different vocalists take their turns at the mic (despite there being an extra voice now, they all seem to get closer to "equal time" than perhaps they ever have) on a colorful folk/rock album that breathes organically without feeling too stripped down for radio to touch. But that doesn't mean that they've completely escaped the lowlights of some of their latter work for Essential. Derek's contributions are pretty solid, but Osenga seems to have difficulties when he's writing a song for Cliff to sing as opposed to one for himself. It's always been the "Cliff songs" that have seemed more straightforward on Caedmon's albums and that have run the risk of boring me. This was not an issue on their late 90's albums, and certainly not on Share the Well, but there are moments on Overdressed that feel as cliched and unobtrusively "pleasant" as some of the most lackluster tunes on the worship albums or Back Home. That's disconcerting, because there's proof in between the so-so tunes that Osenga can write some really fantastic ones. I know that no songwriter can make 'em all winners, but the contrast is so striking that it makes me wonder if the band, despite their "emancipation", still felt some pressure to consciously play it safe here and there. Those "safe" moments just don't compare to the moments where the band gets more introspective, personal, or confrontational. You won't hear anything as surprising as some of the statements made on Derek's solo albums, but you will hear some refreshing truths that you probably already knew, but that just needed to be said.
Musically, despite what earlier rumors may have led us to expect, this ain't Share the Well 2. (It also ain't 41 Acres.) You'll hear elements of the old familiar Caedmon's sound (sometimes too much so on the straight-ahead songs led by Cliff), a little bit of the starker approach from Derek's solo albums, and the occasional "world-beat" influence of share the well plus an experimental moment or two. For the most part, it's simply an example of the band continuing to use their arsenal well - dual percussionists, a multi-talented keyboardist, and four singers who can chime in with just the right harmony or duet vocal during some of each other's songs generally make for an exciting experience than your typical four-member band where everybody has their expected role and they stay in their little box. As an overall listening experience, I'd say it definitely puts a smile on my face to hear this band doing something intelligent and creative again, but the moments where the band seems to be on auto-pilot do give me the nagging feeling that Overdressed could have been a much better comeback than it turned out to be.
We're making noise in the temple
But we're skimming off the top
And we don't want you to suffer
But you don't want to stop...
Gee, you think they want us to know Derek's back in the band? His voice is literally the first thing that jumps out of the speakers at you when you start up the CD. Returning to his favorite subject of depravity as if no time had passed since the days of songs like "Thankful", he leads the band through this laid-back, slightly bluesy shuffle of a song, with a tempo and feel similar to his solo highlight "Nobody Loves Me", minus the twang. It's a good summary of what so much of Derek's solo work has been about, actually - knowing he's being stared in the face by God, having to own up to his own petty sinfulness, and realizing that it's foolhardy to try to hide anything. The album title appears in this song when he admits, "When I'm with You, I feel so overdressed", and as it turns out, that's a subtle reference to the Garden of Eden and man's attempt to hide his sin behind clothing made of fig leaves. That explains the album cover, actually - what you're looking at is essentially the world's first underwear, and apparently that's a bit too formal for God's dress code! Anyhow, this song kind of gets things off to a slow start compared to the fuller sound of Caedmon's past albums, but I do enjoy the bluesy guitar licks during the bridge.
Need Your Love
Your love is a sunset fire, Your love is a melody
Your love is the grace that brings the sinner to his knees...
The second track bumps the tempo up and gives us one of Caedmon's typical, more free-flowing, acoustic/electric anthems, akin to the style you heard on much of Back Home or 40 Acres. It's essentially a praise song sung by Cliff and written by Andy (who harmonizes nicely with Cliff during the chorus and bridge, actually), and it makes some simple but effective analogies about beautiful things that God resembles, before jumping to a rather phone-in chorus of "I need Your love, Your love, I need Your love to stay with me." It's rather youth-groupy and disappointing in comparison to the descriptive phrasing I know this band to be capable of, and quite honestly, I never understood why so many modern worship songs have spent so much effort on asking God to be with us, stay with us, continue loving us, etc., because it's kind of a given that all of those things would be true even if we didn't want them to be. It's not bad theology, really - just lazy songwriting.
This house is a good mess
It's the proof of life
No way would I trade jobs
But it don't pay overtime...
Here's some songwriting that's a bit less lazy. Danielle gets to sing lead on one of the most upbeat and perky tunes on the album (she quite often gets the reflective ballads, so this is a welcome change). And the funny thing is, this song'll probably be a hit with the "soccer mom" audience that has come to discover Caedmon's Call more recently, but it does so without being generic or unintelligent, because this is actually a song about the specifics of being a housewife. (Ironically, it wasn't Danielle who wrote it; instead Andy teamed up with Randall Goodgame. I'm sure they must have had Danielle's input, though, given how specific to her life the lyrics seem to be.) There are clever little observations here that lend the song a slight touch of wry humor - Danielle acknowledges that being a stay-at-home-mom with two handful kids is kind of a thankless task in the world's eyes, and it certainly requires a lot more hours than any 9-to-5 job, and yet she knows it to be a huge blessing that she wouldn't trade for anything else. Only a mom would react to the abundance of "My cup runneth over" by admitting that "I worry about the stain", and it's really striking how the guys managed to describe things from her point of view without it sounding hokey. Josh Moore's piano rings out brightly during the chorus, the melody is light and swift and catchy, and there's even a clever reworking of the hymn "Holy, Holy, Holy" that turns into a "wake-up song" for her kids during the bridge. People used to criticize Caedmon's Call after Derek's departure for no longer performing songs like "Table for Two" which were about singleness and dating; Cliff's response to that tended to be that they were all married with kids now. I never understood why this precluded them from writing personal songs about the phase of life they were going through now, so I really appreciate that they finally have a song about being married with kids.
And you know that we all try to blame someone
When our dreams won't rise up from their sleep
And the reaching of the steeple felt like one more
Expensive ad for something cheap...
The fourth and final lead singer of this versatile bunch gets his moment in the spotlight here with a rather quirky, cleverly written song about a dejected young man's disappointment with the Christian church. Andy drops some clever lines here, over a purposefully dry acoustic guitar strum, that hint at the "mega-church" mentality of wanting everything to look bright and shiny and sterilized and "safe for the entire family", but once you get involved you find that there's just enough sin and judgment and backbiting as there is in any other church. And this leads our protagonist, a boy letdown by his expectations, to wonder what it meant when he was told that Jesus would fill him up: "Maybe something got lost in the language. If this was full, then why bother?" He also worries that he's going to have to cotinue hiding his own sins from a group of people who can't grasp that they're really just like him. It's a painfully honest song that is inventively constructed - what appears to be the pre-chorus ("This is not the way it looked on the billboard, smiling family beaming down on the Interstate") actually turns out to be the chorus, with the main musical refrain being a rich acoustic instrumental break with the guitars, piano, and even some strings and horns flooding in to fill the empty space set up by the minimal instrumentation elsewhere. I love how the final chorus leads to an abrupt ending, too, as everything is left hanging on a solitary note from the piano.
There Is a Reason
Late at night, the darkness makes it hard to see
The history of the saints who've gone in front of me
Through famine, plague and disbelief
His hand was still upon them...
This one's another Andy/Randall collaboration, and it seeks to soothe the pain of the previous song by acknowledging that God can make good of the injustices done by others, even sometimes by the fellow Christians who can be so alienating. More rich acoustics here provide a somewhat satisfying buildup to another "typical Caedmon's Call chorus", with Cliff in the lead offering the soothing promise that "He makes all things good". I think it's a song that works better in the context of the album - by itself it seems a bit ordinary, and a bit too CCM-radio-friendly in its broad, sweeping generalizations about every type of suffering under the sun. It kind of bugs me sometimes when Christian bands allude to the vague "wondering why" without tying it to a specifically relatable situation - it's like they're trying to hit the lowest common denominator, and I'm not used to that from these guys. They can acknowledge that "There is a reason" and "a time for wonder, and to wonder why", but without some sort of logic to back up their point, it feels more like "believe it 'cause I said so" propaganda rather than a thoughtful theological take on a potentially difficult subject.
Share in the Blame
Don't blame the writer for the doubts in your head
Don't blame the preacher for the lovers in your bed...
Here comes Derek's second turn at the mic... and he's actually sharing it with Danielle. They do an interesting, down-tempo duet here - I may not be a big fan of the rather lackadaisical drumming and the sparse feel of it, but I do love hearing these two harmonize. The lyrics, written by Sandra McCracken, are tough and confrontational, telling a person to stop wasting their time focusing on what others should change, when they know deep down that they've got their own share of the blame to contemplate, and that's the only thing they can hope to have any real control over. It's weird, because the song is kind of in-your-face and blunt about these matters, and yet the musical and vocal style is very "Kum ba yah", so the end result sounds like it comes from a person who cares and not just somebody who's telling you off because it makes them feel better. There's a great bit of acoustic guitar soloing here by... well, whichever of the three guitarists that this band has in their reserves chose to step forward at that particular moment.
Hold the Light
Every Wednesday for two years we've met
I've showed you all my anger, my doubts and bitterness
There was no judgment in your eyes
Just the silent peace of God that felt so real in you...
Andy strikes gold again with this stark, confessional ballad from one man who is holding himself accountable to another, admitting that he needs that extra push from a friend during a time when he's feeling like he has so little faith that it's hard to believe in those concepts of forgiveness and grace that we Christians throw around so easily. It's a drawn-out song that builds like some of his classic ballads from his days with The Normals, such as "Grace" or "We Are the Beggars at the Foot of God's Door". And it's great to hear him take this approach as a member of Caedmon's, with Josh's piano letting a few warm rays of light shine in during the chorus, when he's basically asking this friend to carry the torch for him when he's too weak. It's a song that is personal and yet universal - pretty much anyone who's been a Christian long enough and who his honest with themselves know what these "dark periods" feel like, when you're just too worn down and frustrated with yourself or with your misplaced expectations that you're tempted not to give a crap any more... and yet there's a part of you that still wants to. While Andy's reedy vocals are a bit of an acquired taste (even for those who are familiar with Derek's slightly raspy tone), he uses his frail instrument to great effect as this song reaches its resounding climax.
Two Weeks in Africa
We put the walls up, but Jesus keeps them standing
He doesn't need us, but He lets us put our hands in
So we can see His love is bigger than you and me...
If there had been a sequel to Share the Well, I suppose this would be the type of song that would have appeared on such an album. It's very obviously a song about a short-term mission, chronicling the emotions of a girl who took a trip to Africa during her college days and found that it affected her in profound ways many years after the fact. The expected bits of African percussion and native chanting help to fill out the sonic tapestry as Caedmon's takes a fun, upbeat, percussive approach to their folk/rock style like some of Share the Well's best tracks did, and uses it to remind us that it's not about some wannabe Western saviors crossing the globe and saving people from themselves, but rather about the work that Jesus is already doing which He chooses to let us participate in, thereby changing people in places like Africa but also changing us. This is another one that Andy wrote for Cliff to sing, and it's by far the most interesting "Cliff song" on the record.
Love Grows Love
When we got the news, we had to call our families
And start painting the room a nice, bright blue
Our vows, they started breathing and they took on flesh and blood
And we held them in our arms and tasted God was good...
Here's another upbeat tune for Danielle, and this time it's about the history of a married couple, and she's singing it along with the harmony vocals of... Derek? OK, I can see taking the less obvious approach, 'cause maybe it'd have gotten too cutesy if she and Cliff were actually singing the song to each other. I actually don't know whose marriage this one describes - it could be Andy's, since he wrote it, or it could be Cliff and Danielle's, or Derek and Sandra's, or an amalgam of all three, or purely fictional. In any event, it cheerfully traces a couple's feelings for each other back to the awkwardness of high school, up through their current hectic lives with new young faces in the picture who needs taking care of and require adding extra rooms to the house and so forth. It's cute - perhaps a little too cute - but definitely heartfelt. (There's one lyric that always stymies me due to an expected rhyme in this one - during the bridge, when the line "I'm on the other side of the world to see what changed you so" is followed by "My heart breaks with the broken, and it dances with the hope", I always find myself expecting to hear, "it dances with the ho." Which totally wouldn't make sense (and come on, this is a CCM album), but it's funny anyhow.
All Across the Western World
All across the ocean wide
With brothers, neighbors at our door
Our banks are full, but our souls are poor...
This time around, Derek and Sandra apply a teeny bit of the Share the Well style (you can hear it mostly in the tribal percussion) to a song that attempts to look at the excesses of the West through the eyes of someone who's been around the world and seen real poverty. Derek keenly points out a different kind of disease that is affecting us here in this place where we seem assured of our ability to provide for ourselves - it's the disease of excess, which leads to complacency and apathy. The words are more impressionistic than instructional, offering interesting insights such as "You're only free when you have no choice", but leaving the interpretation, and the decision of what to do about it, up to the listener.
Always Been There
You're rising like the morning sun, a pillar in the night
You looked into the void and called it light...
Unfortunately, now it's time for Andy and Randall to take things down several notches and default back to the rather elementary lyrical style that both of them have provided Cliff with a little too much of already. As soon as this mid-tempo track leads off with the line, "We've all got our burdens, our secrets and our shames", it's clear that we're back in "broad sweeping generalization mode", and I suppose it's a true enough observation, but nothing really profound is being made of it. I can basically sum this one up as, "We all have problems, but God is always there and He is faithful, yay." I can't argue with any of that of course, but way to take something that I believe to be true and make me totally unexcited about it.
Start Again
Doesn't it seem I'm always running
And most of the time it's not to You
All other ground is sinking sand
Give me faith to know your promises are true...
Andy gets to sing lead for the finale, which is a surprisingly upbeat tune that closes the album with a bit of a "Coming Home" sort of feel (I think their self-titled record ten years ago was the last time they closed with a "fast song", other than "Ballad of San Francisco" on Long Line of Leavers, but that one was a bit more off-kilter and non-traditional for the band). And unfortunately, he and Randall have offered up yet another generic lyric, which is a bummer, because I've come to expect the songs Andy sings for the band to be a little more raw and personal. I suppose it's not a terrible conclusion, with the words about confronting all of the mess in your past that you've been hiding from and God giving you hope to start over and all that, but I feel like these guys could have had a more striking song somewhere within them about the very same subject. I do enjoy the vocal buildup where Cliff, Danielle, and Derek all seem to be chiming in with their various parts to support Andy as the bridge builds into the final chorus. But on an intellectual level... I'm sorry, Andy, but I kind of tuned out after track 10.
So there you have it... a highly-anticipated comeback album that deserved a lot of the positive reviews it got from various Christian publications, but that throws a monkey wrench into the band's return to brilliance by also reminding us of their annoying ability to phone it in. There's some sort of a ghost here that it feels like they're still partially enslaved to - the specter of their relationship with their previous label, perhaps, or just the overall expectation that they'd continue to give Christian radio some less cerebral tunes to play without really thinking about it, because God knows one of their more confrontational and/or honest songs would bring a CHR station's play list to a screeching halt these days. There should be no one imposing such requirements on them - sure, they might be label mates with MercyMe nowadays, but Derek has already gone before them and showed INO to be a label that shows confidence in the artist to say whatever it is that they need to say. (This is true of Sara Groves to some extent as well.) Maybe they'll get over their hang-ups by the next album, but Derek will likely be gone again by that point, so here's hoping that Andy, Randall, and Josh (seriously, are you still writing songs, dude?) can bring their A-game next time around. They brought their B-game here, so it's certainly possible.
Trouble $1
Need Your Love $.50
Sacred $1.50
Expectations $2
There Is a Reason $1
Share in the Blame $1.50
Hold the Light $2
Two Weeks in Africa $1.50
Love Grows Love $1
All Across the Western World $1.50
Always Been There $0
Start Again $.50
Band Members:
Cliff Young: Vocals, guitars
Danielle Young: Vocals
Derek Webb: Vocals, guitars
Andrew Osenga: Vocals, guitars
Josh Moore: Piano, organ, keyboards, accordion, harmonica
Todd Bragg: Drums
Garrett Buell: Percussion
Jeff Miller: Bass
Great Music to Play While: Cleaning the House


text:
Mariners still eyeing right-handed bat?
March, 25, 2014
Mar 25
By Joe Kaiser | ESPN Insider
Seattle has been on the hunt for another run-producing right-handed bat for virtually all of the offseason, with the latest rumors linking them to a possible reunion with free agent switching-hitting veteran Kendrys Morales. Are the lefty-dominant Mariners still actively seeking a righty bat? Here's the latest.


text:
Narrow your search
The G3's key brand dilemma: it's not an iPhone or Galaxy S. LG's US marketing chief tells CNET how that will change.
CNET takes a behind-the-scenes look at the last-minute scramble to create LG's latest flagship smartphone.
For one CNET editor, the long road that led to LG's new and promising G3 dates back almost 10 years ago to the still-excellent LG EnV.
The biggest UK mobile network and a major retailer have confirmed they aren't selling the LG G3, which one expert says "overshoots the needs of the market".
Handset based on Samsung's homegrown mobile operating system will be launched at an Unpacked event in Moscow in the coming weeks, the Wall Street Journal reports.
Although the Candy Crush developer cancelled its trademark application for the word "candy" in the US, creators in Europe may still come under fire.
Google addresses a longstanding complaint about the Gmail app on iOS.
New research shows that the two big companies dominate smartphone sales in the US.
Motorola, HTC, and BlackBerry were among the losers in the fourth quarter, according to a recent study from NPD.
Better smartphone choices and greater consumer awareness are two reasons to abandon the two-year tether.


text:
Oct. 6 (Bloomberg) -- Ukraine's grain harvest rose by 17 percent to 42 million metric tons as of yesterday compared with a year earlier, agricultural researcher UkrAgroConsult said.
Average grain yields increased to 3.26 tons a hectare (2.47 acres) from 2.66 tons, the Kiev-based researcher said in an e- mailed statement today.
Winter grains have been planted on 5.7 million hectares, which account for 69 percent of the targeted area.
--Editors: John Deane, Claudia Carpenter
To contact the reporter on this story: Kateryna Choursina in Kiev at firstname.lastname@example.com
To contact the editor responsible for this story: Claudia Carpenter at firstname.lastname@example.com


text:
KPMG Zimbabwe was founded in 1949 and operates from 100 The Chase West Road in Emerald Hill in Harare and from 133 Josiah Tongogara in Bulawayo. KPMG Zimbabwe has a current staff complement of close to 300.
The Finance Minister, Hon. Tendai Biti presented the 2013 National Budget in November 2012 with the theme, "Beyond the Enclave: Unleashing Zimbabwe's Economic Growth Potential". Download the KPMG commentary on the 2013 Tax Budget here.
Countries which were seen by the West to have all the wrong features (low per capita GDP, poor infrastructure, supposedly under-developed financial markets, huge populations, different political systems) are now dazzling stars in the (almost) post crisis world.
© 2014
KPMG Zimbabwe, a Zimbabwean partnership and a member firm of the KPMG network of independent member firms affiliated with KPMG International cooperative ("KPMG International"), a Swiss cooperative. All rights reserved. Printed in Zimbabwe
KPMG International Cooperative ("KPMG International") is a Swiss entity. Member firms of the KPMG network of independent firms are affiliated with KPMG International. KPMG International provides no client services. No member firm has any authority to obligate or bind KPMG International or any other member firm vis-à-vis third parties, nor does KPMG International have any such authority to obligate or bind any member firm.


text:
ID Systems' CEO Discusses Q4 2011 Results - Earnings Call Transcript
Needless to say, we are gratified by the success of our growth strategy in 2011 and very happy to meet so many goals for our shareholders. We look forward to carrying the positive momentum of 2011 forward in to 2012 and continuing our efforts to grow top line revenue, increase predictable recurring revenue, extend our technical market leadership, expand in vertical and international markets, maintain our cost discipline and increase shareholder value.
Thank you for your time today. I'll look forward to your questions later on the call. Now let me turn the discussion over to Ned Mavrommatis, our CFO to detail our financial results for the fourth quarter and full year 2011.
Ned MavrommatisThank you Jeff and hello to everyone on the call today. As Jeff noted, our revenue for the fourth quarter ended December 31 2011 increased 64% to a record $11.8 million from $7.2 million for the fourth quarter of 2010. For the full year, revenue increased 52% to $39.3 million another record compared to $25.9 million in 2010. Recurring revenues for the quarter and year were $4.1 million and $16.4 million respectively or a 35% and 42% of total revenues respectively. Our Vehicle Management Business including rental fleet management contributed $6.7 million in revenue for the quarter while our transportation asset management business contributed $5.2 million. For the full year, the corresponding contributions were $22.1 million and $17.2 million respectively. Our gross margins for the fourth quarter and full year were 51% and 52% respectively in line with expectations and past performance. Our consistent strong margins reflect continued price stability for our systems, high margins on recurring revenue from our Asset Intelligence Business and controlled operating cost. Read the rest of this transcript for free on seekingalpha.com
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Photo by: Joseph DeLeo
Using fresh tomatoes right from the garden for this recipe (especially Romas) is always best. The secret to the special, sweet, rich flavor of this sauce is caramelizing the onions and charring the tomatoes. Oil-cured olives, beans of any kind, cubed eggplant, zucchini, or any other seasonal vegetable you have on hand, can be added.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil for cooking the pasta. Peel and dice the tomatoes; set aside.
In a heavy, seasoned skillet, over medium-high heat, cook the onion, not stirring for a minute or two, until the edges brown a bit, then stir and add the tomatoes. Add the garlic, chiles, and oregano. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain and add to the tomato mixture. Stir together and serve.
If preferred, you can blacken the tomatoes over a burner on top of the range. Frozen blackened tomatoes can also be used.
Nutritional information is based on using 10 ounces of dry pasta.
Nutrients per serving (% daily value)
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All McDonald's restaurants in the Treasure Valley are offering a free small order of french fries with purchase during the lunch hour today, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., in honor of the late J.R. Simplot. "He gave Idaho potatoes their golden glow," declares a gold-colored flier posted on the door of Boise-area McDonald's. "Enjoy what he made famous."
Simplot marketed the first commercially viable frozen french fries in the world in the early 1950s, which became a staple side order at McDonald's. Idaho Gov. Butch Otter, asked about the french-fry tribute, said, "I think there's no secret that there was a tremendous partnership between (McDonald's founder) Ray Kroc and Jack Simplot. That continues, as it should, long after both of them are gone."
Simplot, Idaho's potato baron and microchip magnate, died a week ago at the age of 99, and was remembered at a public memorial service yesterday at the Qwest Arena in downtown Boise.
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Betsy Z. Russell covers Idaho news from The Spokesman-Review's bureau in Boise.
Named best state-based political blog in Idaho for 2013 by The Fix
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The latest news in the Ruby and Rails communityGot some news to report? Send it in!
Bitcoin mania, amplify your pair programming, we replaced your normal web browser with decaf... lets see if they notice, multiblock, sponges, a visit to our studios from Robocop, dealing with your inheritance chain with prepend, and more with this #rubyloco-powered Ruby5. This script may or may not have involved the proper use of prescription pain medications.
This episode is sponsored by New Relic. New Relic gives you performance monitoring, tracking, and reporting of your web applications.
Eastward Ho, Git ours/theirs and where does your code go?
This week we have Streem, Rails 4.2.rc3, Papercrop, and RubyMotion 3.0.
This week we have a jRuby security release, a new Command API for ROM, Traveling Ruby, early validations, easy rewrites with Ruby and Science!, and a Rails Camp not too far from Hobbiton.
RubyConf 2014 on Confreaks, browser geolocation with Spyme, referential integrity with foreign keys, forwarding messages with tell, and free SecCasts all in this episode of the Ruby5.